Starting the Conversation
by kaela097
Summary: Chuck is in love with his wife, Blair, and is ready to add to their family. Starts with their conversation and her reaction. Set after college.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Takes place between the stories I've written entitled 'One Month of Bliss' and 'Happiness in Unexpected Places'.**

"Chuck, you're home early," Blair stated as she stepped off the elevator, her eyes widening in surprise at being greeted by her husband standing before her in an Armani tuxedo with a bouquet of white roses in his hand which he extended out to her as she stepped closer.

"I missed you today," he stated as she stepped into his arms and kissed him in greeting. They mutually deepened their kiss as they always did after a few hours away from each other. Those hours always seemed to feel like eternity.

"You miss me everyday," she pulled back breathlessly, "But I don't recall it ever inspiring you to leave the office early, put on a tuxedo, and wait for me at the elevator before."

"Today is a special day," he stated as his lips brushed against hers slightly as he spoke.

"How so?" she inquired as she began to try matching up the current date against any of their anniversaries. Chuck could see the wheels spinning in her head. She was coming up empty, and a knot began to form in her stomach at the thought that she could forget any of the important milestones they'd created together.

"Relax, Mrs. Bass, you haven't forgotten anything," he assured her as he felt her tense in his arms. He began caressing her back gently to relax her in the way he knew she liked. She was like a finely tuned instrument to him that he could play well.

"Then what is this special day that you are talking about?" she sighed in relief.

"Come with me," he requested as he held out his hand to her, "And you'll find out."

Her eyes began to sparkle as his mysterious statement began to spark the curiosity in her. He knew better than to make curious statements like that without immediately clarifying what he meant. She would pry the information out of him by any means necessary.

The dining room was lit with dozens of candles and white rose pedals everywhere. At their place settings at the table held two silver covered dishes, which from the smell was one of her favorite meals.

"What is all this?" Blair inquired as he pulled out her chair for her before he took his usual seat at the head of the table next to her.

"Can a husband do something romantic for his wife without a reason?" he inquired as he grinned menacingly. Many years ago, that grin would have frightened her, as it would have meant he was up to no good, but he wasn't that rotten to the core boy anymore. She had changed him in all of the best ways.

"Sure he can," Blair smiled as he reached over and lifted the lid of her dish at the same time he lifted his, "But I know you, Bass. I know that mischievous grin on your face better than I know my own. You're planning something."

"Perhaps I am," he nodded as he encouraged her to begin her meal, "And you'll find out after we finish our meal."

Blair and Chuck proceeded to trade banter back and forth about their day as they devoured their meal as quickly and safely as possible. Blair went on and on about a new print of fabric that had come into her loft that she had fallen in love with. She was already reworking her upcoming line to incorporate it. The way her eyes sparkled as she spoke brought him a great amount of joy. He loved that her work gave her so much happiness in the same way his did for him. He hoped that his plans for the evening didn't change that.

"I've finished my fantastic meal, now it's time for some answers," she stated as he pulled her to her feet and into his arms to hold her. He had barely finished chewing when she made her demand.

"Do you know what today is?" he inquired.

"You said it wasn't any of our anniversaries," she stated, the knot in her stomach returning. She had forgotten something. It wasn't there first wedding anniversary; that was two months away. It wasn't the anniversary of the first night they had made love because that was a few days before her birthday. It couldn't have been the anniversary of when he had proposed, that was just a week before the fall fashion show. What could he be talking about?

"It's not an anniversary exactly," he stated, "It's the three month mark after something that we consider an anniversary. March 24th, doesn't that ring any bells?"

"Three months earlier puts us at December 24th, which is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve was when you promised me that you'd ask me to marry you one day," she smiled brightly.

"Which I eventually did," he stated as he kissed her ringed hand that held both her engagement and wedding bands.

"Yes, you certainly did," she stated as she took her turn and kissed his platinum wedding band. She had expected that he wouldn't want to wear a wedding ring when they had first talked about their wedding plans, but he had been insistent on it, almost demanding it.

"And I haven't said it yet today, but I'll make sure that I do right now. I love you, Blair Waldorf-Bass," he professed as he kissed her.

"I love you too," she stated as she closed her eyes to savor the words. She heard the words escape his lips probably a million times by now, but she cherished them more each time he spoke them. It had been so hard for him at first. Now it was effortless. He made a point to say it at least once every day.

"I want to talk to you about something," he stated as he pulled her into the living room, sitting her on the white linen settee as he knelt before her.

"You don't need to propose again Chuck," she teased, "I'm already your wife."

"Something for which I thank god every morning," he stated as he took her hands in his and kissed each one in turn.

"Out with it, Bass," she commanded, "The suspense is killing me."

"You've never been one for patience," he smirked.

"And neither have you," she hissed, "Whatever it is that you want to talk to me about, start talking."

"I love our life," he began, "I love that every morning I wake up knowing that you and I are husband and wife. These ten months of wedded bliss have been so much better than I ever could have hoped for."

"I love this too," she agreed.

"Do you remember what we talked about on that Christmas Day, after I promised to one day propose?" he inquired.

"I certainly remember the costume you made me wear," she laughed, "And the embarrassment I felt after our family heard us making love in your office."

He laughed at the memory. She had worn her costume every year since to blissful results. It was the only costume she ever wore that had any effect. All others seemed unnecessary and annoyingly inhabiting at the wrong moments.

"Do you remember when we told Nathaniel about our promise to each other?" he prompted her.

"Yes, that best man of yours didn't get me a present that year," she pouted.

"Do you remember what I said to him when we told him?" he inquired.

"That you loved me, and that you wanted to spend your life with me. That you wanted me to know that you saw marriage in our future one day," she recalled.

"What else did I see in our future?" he prompted her.

"Children," she blushed.

"And that day, we agreed to hold off on children talk until we'd been married for six months. We're four months past that," he stated, "I want to start the conversation."

"Do you think we're ready for children?" she inquired curiously, "We're still in our honeymoon phase."

"Blair, we've been in our honeymoon phase for seven years already," he pointed out, "That's never going away. Our sex life is what it is. Nothing is going to change that, not even children."

"But they can certainly interrupt," she tried to point out.

"Trust me, any child of ours is going to know that their parents make love every day, and they'll know not to interrupt us," he assured her. His comment brought a bright smile to her face.

"I love you, Bass, you and your one tract mind," she giggled.

"Blair, I'm trying to be serious here," he glared at her.

"You don't like kids," she stated as she sobered up.

"As I've told you before, I'm afraid of children. I have nothing against them personally. I think that if it was our child, I might be able to get over that fear . . . at least I'm hoping I can. I want our child or children to know that I love them," he stated.

"They'll know," she assured him, "Even if you run screaming from the room every time they come near you, they'll know you love them."

"I am never that bad," he laughed out.

"I thought you're trying to be serious," she teased.

"I am," he replied as his face straightened out.

"What has brought all this out anyways?" she inquired.

"Remember Wendell Marte?" he inquired curiously.

"Vaguely," she recalled, "Isn't he that man from the elevator that you kicked out on our one month anniversary and almost fired?"

"Well, he actually came in handy later that afternoon when when you made me show up late for the board meeting so I promoted him," he explained, "His wife just had a baby about a month ago, and he just returned to work yesterday. The look in his eyes and the smile on his face as he talks about his son made me jealous. It caught me off guard because honestly I didn't think I was ready for children. Then yesterday after work, I stepped into the elevator with that little girl, Victoria."

"That pigtailed little brunette?" Blair inquired.

"The one that's like a miniature version of you, only not quite as cute," he agreed, "We began talking."

"You talked to a six year old," Blair summarized, her eyes showing how stunned she was.

"Surprised me too," he laughed, "What was more curious was that it wasn't uncomfortable. She told me this cute story about her imaginary friend and how riding in the elevator is his favorite thing to do, and before I knew it I had gone up and down the elevator with her about four times."

"I was wondering why you were so late getting home," Blair chuckled as she tried to keep a straight face, "You called me just before your limo pulled up to the building, but it took you twenty minutes to step off the elevator."

"Something is trying to tell me that I'm ready for children," he stated as he shifted from one knee to the other, "And I want to know where you are in this? I know that your work is important to you. You're still a very new designer. You're still working on being accepted as a major label, and I don't want you to think that your work isn't nearly as important as mine."

"Stop," she stated as she put her fingers to his lips to stop him from talking, "I think I'm ready too."

"You think," he repeated as his eyes widen in surprise, "Blair, I didn't want to start this conversation tonight looking for a resolution that we would start trying right away. I was just hoping to start the dialog so that we could work on getting to the same page."

"We're already there," she assured him.

"Are you sure?" he inquired, "I want you to be really sure that you're ready for this."

"Are you sure?" she pressed, "Children has always been your issue more than it's been mine. I want a miniature Chuck Bass running around."

"And I want a miniature Blair Waldorf-Bass," he smirked, "Please let us have a daughter first."

"Are you serious?" she laughed, "I thought you'd want a son first to carry on the Bass name."

"Our daughter can do that just as well as a son," he assured her, "A miniature you could be so much fun."

"We're getting ahead of ourselves," she announced as she shook her head in amusement.

"Yes," he nodded, "We have to get you pregnant first."

"That shouldn't be all that hard," she smirked devilishly, "We're very good at the activity that gets me pregnant."

"Yes, we are," he sighed as his voice oozed with the lust he felt building inside him.

"I'll stop taking my birth control pill after this cycle, and we'll let nature take its course from there," she announced as her arms went around his shoulders to pull him close, "Until then, we can certainly continue practicing."

"There is one other thing that we have to talk about, two things really," he stated as his eyes turned serious. He couldn't allow her to distract him as the conversation he had planned wasn't finished yet.

"My bulimia," she took a stab at the first issue he could possibly be thinking of.

"It's been a long time since we've talked about this, but it's still an issue," he replied.

"I know," she whispered softly as she pressed her forehead to his so she could avoid his intense stare

"Head up, Waldorf-Bass," he prompted her as he lifted her chin when she lowered her eyes, "No shame, remember."

She nodded in agreement as she smiled at him softly. He was always the voice of encouragement whenever this topic came up, which was once a year around the anniversary of her last bout of bulimia. They were a few weeks way from that anniversary. She gathered her thoughts as she spoke, "I had the conversation with Doctor Boyd during my yearly check in with him a few months ago."

"And what did he say?" Chuck asked. He was surprised that she'd had that conversation with her doctor, and that she wouldn't have mentioned it until now. She always told him everything that she discussed with Doctor Boyd.

"He sees no reason why I should have any trouble getting pregnant, carrying, and having a healthy baby. I'm young and healthy. I haven't had any incidents since spring break my freshman year of college. I don't really give it that much thought expect whenever I met with the doctor for my check in, which he thinks might not be necessary anymore. Morning sickness, we'll have to deal with, but he said if I make a special effort I should be fine," she explained.

"Which leads us to the second issue . . . childbirth," he sighed, "I don't know how active a participant I can be. With my mother dying while giving birth to me, it's going to bring up so many negative feelings and insecurities. I can try, Blair, I really can, but I don't know if I can be there."

"We'll deal with that time when it comes," she assured him as she caressed his cheek softly as a single tear fell down his face, "And if you can't, that's okay."

"I want a child with you, Blair, but not at the expense of losing you," he stated tearfully. His composure broke at that moment as he pulled her close as the tears began to flow.

"I'll be okay," she tried to assure him as she gently ran her fingers through his hair as she tried to comfort him, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I want to believe that so much," he sniffled, "But things can happen . . . things did happen to my mom. I'm sure she thought the same way when she was pregnant with me."

"We have one big thing working in our favor," she stated, "As great of a woman as I know your mother must have been, she wasn't part Waldorf. We are strong and determined women. We don't do anything or go anywhere unless we chose to."

Despite his tears, he smiled at her statement.

"Take me to bed, Bass, and let's start figuring out how we're going to do this," she smirked as she wiped the rest of the tears off his face.

"I think we've already figure out how to do this," he grinned seductively, "I think we just need to keep practicing until the time is right."

"Which will be soon, I'm sure," she replied as she watched him stand and then easily lift her into his arms as he carried her towards their bedroom.

**TBC. . . (maybe, I'm not sure if there really is a continuation to this story. What do you all think?).**

**Also, this will have to hold you for about a week as I will have no internet access as I drive across country. Wish me luck.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**I'm back. I survived my cross country trip. Thank you to everyone for the glowing reviews.**

"What do you mean you haven't told him yet?" Serena exclaimed, after showering her best friend with the sip of water she had taken. She quickly grabbed her napkin and began patting Blair dry as Blair sat horrified by her friend's reaction.

"I don't know how to tell him," Blair stated finally as she twirled her rings around her left finger nervously.

"But I thought he wanted this," Serena stated as she looked at her best friend in confusion.

"He does," Blair responded quickly, "We both do, but going through this is going to be extremely difficult for him. This is how his mom died."

"How have you kept the morning sickness from him?" Serena inquired. Chuck noticed everything about his bride. She couldn't believe that Blair could hide something like this from him.

"It hasn't been easy," Blair admitted sighing with the disgust she felt at what she had to do, "I've resorted to the old tricks I learned during my bulimic episodes."

Serena scowled at her best friend in response.

"I'm okay," Blair assured her quickly, "I'm not forcing the issue. I've met with Doctor Boyd twice already since I found out, and he assures me I'm doing fine. And I'm certainly not proud of myself for keeping this from Chuck, but every time I plan out how to tell him I start with 'I don't want you to worry about me, but I'm pregnant'."

"Come up with a different opening line," Serena demanded, "Do you know how hard it has been to keep this secret?"

"I'm sorry," Blair apologized, "And I really appreciate how hard this is for you, but I'm just not ready yet. Perhaps when the morning sickness stops. It has gotten a lot better."

"He's going to notice eventually," Serena insisted, "If he hasn't already. You body is already starting to change."

"I know I'm beginning to show," Blair stated as she looked down at the slight bump she was sporting. She rubbed her stomach affectionately. She was so happy to be carrying Chuck's child. She was in tears when her doctor confirmed the news, but then she began to worry about Chuck. They'd already discussed children and agreed to start trying, but she could see he was struggling with how to work through his fear, and he didn't even know yet that she was pregnant.

"Tell him," Serena stated forcefully, "Or I will."

"You wouldn't!" Blair gasped in horror.

"Like hell I won't," Serena responded, "I'll give you a week, but if he still doesn't know by the end of it . . . I'll march straight into his office at drop the bomb myself."

Blair began to mumble insults under her breath directed at her best friend. Serena chose to ignore them, chalking them up to the hormones that Blair was experiencing due to her pregnancy.

* * *

"I didn't expect you to have time for your best friend today," Nate stated as he joined Chuck for lunch at his favorite restaurant. Chuck was busy on his phone and held up a finger to Nate to let him know he'd be right with him. The waitress took Nate's drink order before he took his seat and waited for Chuck to finish what was obviously an important business call.

"Sorry," Chuck stated as he ended his call and then silenced his phone so that they wouldn't be interrupted during the lunch that Chuck had invited him to. They both had busy schedules and lunches for the buddies were hard to arrange. They'd already had to reschedule three times that week.

"No problem," Nate assured him, "I'll just need you to compensate me for the time I've waited for you."

"Always looking for money," Chuck laughed out in amusement, "I'll get Eugenia to cut a check this afternoon."

"Just make sure it's made out to the foundation," Nate chuckled along with him.

"How is the housing project going?" Chuck inquired as he referenced the underprivileged housing project that Nate was currently spearheading in Brooklyn.

"Even better now that you were able to clear all the legal issues," Nate responded in a grateful tone.

"It helps to have powerful friends with the last name of Bass," he grinned devilishly.

"Speaking of Basses, how's Blair?" Nate inquired.

Chuck sighed when his best friend brought up the reason he'd wanted to meet for lunch in the first place.

"Don't tell me the honeymoon is over after only fifteen months," Nate chuckled.

"Blair is fine," Chuck assured him before hesitantly adding, "I think."

"You think," Nate repeated as his voice sounded full of doubt.

"She's been distant lately," Chuck responded as he tried to explain the thoughts that were going through his head, "But not really."

"That doesn't make any sense," Nate responded as he shook his head in confusion.

"Something is going on with her, but I haven't been able to figure out exactly what it is," Chuck explained as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"How is that possible?" Nate gasped, "You know her better than you know yourself."

"And that is what is so frustrating about this," Chuck groaned, "I do know . . . and she doesn't keep secrets from me, but something is different with her lately. She looks at me with a hesitation I've never seen from her before. Even when we made love for the first time, I didn't see what I see in her eyes right now, and she had to be scared out of her mind that first night."

"Can we skip that memory?" Nate requested. He was referencing the night Nate and Blair had first broken up, which wasn't exactly a happy memory for Nate. Nate still considered that night one of the worst of his life although ironically Chuck considered it one of his best.

"Sorry," Chuck responded with apologetic eyes, "The point is I'm worried."

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Nate suggested.

"Yes," he nodded, "I've tried to start the conversation every night for a week, but she keeps interrupting me."

"Interrupting you," Nate requested clarification as to what he meant.

"Seducing me, whichever you prefer," Chuck replied an amused grin, "And we both know I have no willpower when it comes to her."

"I've noticed," Nate added dryly as he rolled his eyes. He quickly realized that Chuck was toying with him. Chuck didn't usually rub his nose in the fact that Blair had chosen him, but occasionally he did, in a playful way of course. "But you've got to resist her if you want to find out what is wrong. Take it from me, you do not want to ignore this."

"I know," Chuck nodded. He paused for a moment to contemplate what he wanted to say next. He'd been teasing Nate briefly, but he knew his limit. "She's been. . . insatiable lately." He struggled to find the right word that wouldn't offend his friend, but get his point across.

"Maybe she's pregnant," Nate suggested as he chuckled in amusement, "Don't women get horny when their expecting."

Chuck sobered up instantly.

"It was a joke, Chuck," Nate stated as he slapped his friend's shoulder.

"She's pregnant," Chuck repeated. Of course, it all made sense now. Certain body parts were more sensitive than they had been in the past. She seemed to be eating more than was typical for her. She was moodier than was normal for her, and her appetite for him unparalleled.

"Is that even a possibility?" Nate inquired as his smile disappeared.

"It's very possible," Chuck nodded as he folded his hands together as he tried to wrap his head around the news, "We've been trying."

"This is news to me," Nate stated as he looked at Chuck with a stunned expression. He was a little hurt that Chuck wouldn't confide in him something this life altering.

"Sorry," Chuck apologized in response to his friend's hurt expression, "It's not really something that we're talking about. I'm sure Serena knows, but that's probably it, maybe Eugenia."

"Naturally," Nate laughed. There wasn't much that Blair kept from Chuck's faithful assistant. She probably knew as much about Blair and Chuck's relationship as he and Serena did. "Would you be happy if she is pregnant?"

"I'd be ecstatic," Chuck responded quickly, "But . . ."

"I knew there would be a 'but'," Nate added, "And I can guess what the 'but' is. You're worried she'll suffer the same fate as your mother."

Chuck nodded as he looked to his hands. His eyes fixated on his wedding ring and the memory it stirred of when she first slipped it onto his hand.

It wasn't on their wedding day. It was the day they set aside to go pick out wedding rings as they were planning the wedding. They had been arguing that day. It was some nonsensical thing regarding the flower arrangements for the reception. Blair had wanted white roses, but Chuck was insisting on pink peonies. To this day, he didn't know what possessed him to force his opinion on her. She had been planning her wedding since she was a little girl right down to the smallest detail.

The sales person at the jewelry store looked at them skeptically as if she knew not only was she not going to make the sale, but that the pair wouldn't even make it to the alter. As soon as Blair slipped the platinum band onto his finger all arguments stopped. They didn't even bother with looking at other rings. In fact, he almost didn't let her take the ring off. It had been a perfect fit, as if that piece of precious metal was meant to be around his finger. They'd paid for the ring quickly and then scrambled to their limo to make up for the earlier argument.

"You zoned out on me," Nate stated as he nudged Chuck's shoulder to get his attention.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he began spinning the ring around his finger.

"She's going to be okay," Nate tried to assure him, "Things are different than they were twenty four years ago. The medical advancements and prenatal care is nothing like it used to be . . . it's so much better."

"I know," he nodded, "But for so long have I blamed myself for my mother's death, and was sure that my father did as well. It's hard to erase all of that self doubt."

"If Blair is pregnant, which you need to find out for sure," Nate stated, "If she is pregnant, you won't have to do this alone. I'll be there for you for whatever you need, whether it be an ear to talk off or a shoulder to cry on or a punching bag to assault."

"That's very generous," Chuck laughed weakly. "You'll be our child's godfather, won't you?"

"I'd be honored," Nate grinned, "But seriously, you're putting the cart before the horse. You don't even know that she's pregnant."

"Yes, I do," Chuck nodded.

"You were just saying how you didn't know what was wrong," Nate responded in confusion.

"I know," Chuck responded simply as a smile began to brighten his face as the excitement hit him suddenly. "As you said, I know her better than I know myself. She's pregnant." He was going to be a father to Blair's child. His life was suddenly more perfect than it had ever been.

* * *

"You're home early," Blair stated as she stepped off the elevator and into his awaiting arms. He had a bouquet of peonies in his hand that he gave to her before her arms came around his neck.

"I missed you," he responded simply as he gave her a light kiss on the lips.

"This feels like déjà vu," she claimed as he pulled her towards their dining room which was set with her favorite dinner once again. Her conversation with Serena during lunch was still fresh in her mind. "What are you planning, Bass?"

"Dinner with my beautiful wife," he replied without hesitation.

"You're planning more than that," she chuckled nervously.

"I know," he stated simply. He could see the confusion in her eyes at his statement. She wasn't understanding what exactly he was talking about.

"You know what?" she asked as her nervousness increased.

"I know," he repeated.

"Did Serena tell you?" Blair growled as her face began to turn crimson in anger. "I'm going to murder her!"

"I haven't talked to Serena since breakfast at Lily's two weeks ago," he assured her as he kissed her lips softly in hopes of calming her down. His limited knowledge of her current condition told him that her getting worked up was not a good thing.

"Then what do you know," Blair stated as she began to calm down.

Chuck pressed his hand gently against her lower abdomen as he leaned in to kiss her softly once again. Tears sprang to Blair's eyes at his gesture.

"Who told you?" Blair inquired as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"You did," he replied as her hands covered his, "It took me a little longer than it should have to put the pieces together, but the point is . . . I know you're pregnant."

"Please don't be mad at me," she stated tearfully.

"Why would I be anything but ecstatic with you?" he inquired as he cradled her head in his hands, "You're carrying my child."

"I should have told you I was pregnant as soon as I found out," she responded as tears began flowing freer.

"How long have you known?" he chuckled lightly.

"Six weeks," she responded, "I've been struggling with how to tell you."

"How pregnant are you?" he asked as he lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Three months," she stated guiltily.

"That's a third of your pregnancy," he gasped. He snorted in anger. Now he was mad, not at her, at himself that he'd missed so much already.

"I'm sorry," she stated as she cried harder.

"Stop apologizing," he insisted as he took a deep breath to control his anger, "I'm not mad at you, not even a little. I'm mad at myself for not noticing this sooner. I should have known something was wrong when your breasts became so sensitive."

He began caressing them softly. She moaned with pleasure as her head rolled back.

"You are the sexiest pregnant woman I've ever met," he whispered as his lips caressed the racing pulse at her neck.

"Do you have any idea how aroused pregnancy makes a woman?" Blair moaned as she pressed herself against him fully.

"By all means, show me," he chuckled as her hands found his suit jacket lapel and roughly yanked it down his shoulders. His shirt buttons gave way quickly as she ripped his shirt open. Her hormones must have given her superhuman strength as she backed him against the table pushing him roughly against it until he was sprawled out on top of it. The air was knocked out his lungs momentarily as he fell against the table but he quickly recovered to sit up and help her remove the blouse she was wearing. "Slow down, Blair," he whispered into her ear, "I'll need a few moments to catch up."

"That doesn't sound like the Chuck Bass that I married," she smirked as she shrugged out of her blouse as Chuck worked the zipper of her skirt, which quickly pooled at her feet.

A thought occurred to Chuck as his eyes racked over her beautiful frame. "We can't do this, Blair," he stated as he slid off the table to his feet.

"You can't allow me to get turned on and then refuse me," she hissed as she attached her lips to the Adam's apple at his neck, "Especially now."

"I'm not refusing you," he assured her as he picked her up in his arms and began carrying her to their bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she squealed as her arms went around his neck as he whisked her effortless into the bedroom to lay her gently on their bed.

"You're carrying my child," he stated as his hand caressed her bare abdomen. He couldn't understand how he had missed the slight rise of her stomach. He noticed every infinitesimal detail of her body.

"Do you have a point, Bass?" she asked impatiently as his thoughts seemed to drift.

"The dining room table is no place to make love to the mother of our child," he smirked as his lips began to caress her abdomen softly. He appeared to be whispering softly against her skin, but her mind was too clouded with lust to make out what he was saying.

"Our child," she repeated as she laid back against the soft pillows as her hands caressed his scalp gently.

"This child will have everything we didn't," he vowed as he looked deeply into her eyes, "This child will know that we love him or her, and that no matter what they do, we will continue to love him or her."

"We'll make a good team," she smiled as he traveled up her body to capture her lips.

"We already do," he grinned as he began nibbling on her neck again as his hands caressed her thighs, lowering her stockings as he went.

"We're certainly good at what we do," Blair agreed as her fingers caressed his shoulders as she worked out the knots she found in his tired back. There was a lot of tension there that she couldn't understand. "You're so tense. What's wrong?"

"I've been worrying about you," he admitted as he kissed her lips again.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled against his mouth just before his tongue invaded her.

"Stop apologizing," he paused momentarily.

"I can help with the knots," she whispered.

"We'll worry about that later," he replied, "Right now I have a pregnant wife that is in need of satisfaction."

Blair fell asleep after their love making. It was unusual for her as she usually liked to talk after they'd been intimate. He didn't question her though. He'd see to it that every one of her needs were met during the next six months. She wouldn't have to lift a finger for anything, he vowed to himself.

Blair curled into his side more fully as her arm draped across his chest, her left hand resting comfortably on his shoulder. He reached for it so that he could admire her wedding and engagement rings. He could have afforded better and bigger, but the stones looked perfect against her delicate fingers just as he knew they would. Any other ring would have looked tacky and he knew it.

Her stomach began rumbling in her sleep which reminded him that they hadn't eaten dinner yet. He had completely forgotten about the gourmet meal he had arranged for her. He began mentally cursing himself for not taking care of her or their child properly which he hadn't even known about for a full day.

He tried to slide out of bed without disturbing her, but she held him close, shifting even closer each time he tried to slide away.

"Blair," he whispered softly as he ran his fingers through her hair, "You have to release me."

"Never," she mumbled as she shifted closer to him. Her eyes were fluttering as they did whenever she was dreaming. He smiled as his hand drifted down her back to caress her soft skin. He felt her shiver with pleasure against him as her lips began to dust across his bare shoulder softly.

"Baby, you need to eat," he spoke softly.

She responded incoherently in her sleep as her lips continued to sweep across his skin. She had seduced him once before in her sleep, although he hadn't known she'd been asleep at the time. She looked well on her way to her second, but her eyes fluttered open as she smiled at him with his favorite lazy grin. It was the one that told him she was a satisfied woman.

"We should eat dinner," he spoke as he tried to slip out of her grasp finally and slid out of bed.

"Can't we just skip the main course and go straight for dessert?" she inquired as she held him firmly down as she planted her lips against his.

"We've already had dessert," he chuckled as he tried to break free from her grasp once more. He knew he wasn't going to succeed as his heart wasn't into it.

"I want more," she groaned as her mouth assaulted his.

"Dinner first," he compromised, "Then I'll gladly help you satisfy your sweet tooth."

"Dessert first," she insisted as her lips turned into a pout.

"Dinner first," he insisted. He was going to hold his ground this time. They were thinking for two now.

"Fine," she sighed as she rolled onto her back to finally allow him his freedom. He slid from their bed quickly, locating his robe and hers in their bathroom. He slipped into his easily before he helped her with hers. Once her arms were through the sleeves he spun her around so that he could tie the sash.

"I'm pregnant, Chuck," she giggled, "I'm not helpless."

"I can assure you that you will not have to lift a finger for the next six months," he responded as he looked deep into her eyes to let her know how serious he was about his statement.

"So are you going to dress me every day for the next six months?" she inquired as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

"Dress you, undress you, feed you," he began listing.

"This could get really annoying," she sighed as he took her hand and pulled her out of their bedroom.

"Humor me," he requested as he pulled her into the kitchen and lifted her onto the counter before he turned to raid the refrigerator. He knew that their planned dinner would be ruined by sitting out as long as it had. "There is very little that an expectant father can do other than service the expectant mother."

"Can't you just focus on one particular service and let me take care of myself," she whined, "I'll even let you take care of the most important one which involved undressing me."

"You have such a one track mind these days, Mrs. Bass," he chuckled as he pulled several items out of the fridge and set them next to her before he returned to the unit to gather more items. She couldn't even hazard a guess as to what he was concocting.

"It's the hormones," she shrugged, "The OBGYN says that it is completely normal that I'm even more insatiable than normal."

"Am I going to need to take a leave from the empire so that I can be your beck and call boy for the next six months?" he smirked devilishly.

"Speaking of leaves," she picked out of his crude statement while ignoring the rest of his comment, "I've been giving my leave of absence some thought."

"Already," he responded in surprise.

"I need to have a plan of action. I am the heart of the line and a lot of people depend on me for their livelihoods," she explained.

"What are your thoughts on this?" he inquired, "Will you let me finally buy out your line and bring you into the Bass Empire?"

Blair laughed at the ridiculousness of his statement before she turned serious, "No, but it's a really good try. I was thinking of handing the reigns over to Riley (one the friends she had made during her college days at NYU) while I'm on maternity leave. She's my right hand woman anyways. I trust her. She can handle the day to day aspects and free me up to focus on the designs which I can do from home. Our child happens to be due at the perfect time, right in between both the Fall and Spring fashion weeks. I can worry about the shows when they happen."

"How long are you thinking of staying on maternity?" he inquired as he began assembling their dinner. She still hadn't a clue what he was making, but it looked really good as her stomach began to growl louder and louder. Each noise had Chuck working a little more quickly to feed his pregnant wife.

"I was thinking a year," Blair stated as he handed her a few pieces of fruit to snack on while he finishing preparing their dinner. He couldn't take the noises coming from her stomach any longer. "We can revisit it at any time, but a year sounds acceptable for right now."

"We'll need to start looking for a nanny," he stated.

"NO!" Blair gasped, "No nanny."

Chuck looked at Blair with a stunned expression on his face. Every child raised on the Upper East Side was done so with the aid of a nanny, including the two of them.

"You said you wanted this child to know that we love them," Blair began to explain, "That means we raise this child ourselves. We don't need a nanny."

The determined look on his wife's face told him not to argue with her. He'd bring it up again at a different date, but for now he returned his attention to dinner. He'd picked up a few tricks from their gourmet chef over the years as his work routinely made him late for dinner. Blair knew that he no longer relied on sandwiches to curl his appetite, but she had never witnessed his culinary skills before as he moved about the kitchen as he prepared their meal.

"Do you know how sexy it is to see a man cook for me," she stated seductively from her perch on the counter.

"Andre cooks for you every evening," Chuck laughed, referring to their middle aged, balding, pot bellied gourmet chef, "Are you saying you find him sexy? If that is what you are saying, then we'll need to find ourselves a new chef. I don't want to have to worry about coming home to find you having an affair against the stainless steel appliances."

"Who says that we already aren't?" Blair stated with a mysterious twinkle in her eye.

"It's Andre's child you're carrying isn't it," Chuck played along as he growled in discontent.

"Guilty," she snickered as she tried to hide her amusement. "We were hoping that you'd never find out, but you caught us."

Chuck removed their dinner from the heat of the stove so that it wouldn't get ruined before he went to her, pinning her against the counter with one hand on either side of her as his lips crashed against her roughly. "You are mine, and only mine," he growled.

"Always yours," she moaned as his mouth assaulted her lips roughly. She felt him smile against her lips as they both moaned in pleasure.

"Are you ready for dessert?" he grinned wickedly against her neck as he nibbled gently as he loosened the sash at her waist and slid the robe from her shoulders.

"Do you even have to ask?" she inquired as he slid her closer to the edge of the counter before he slid into her. "Why do you have to be so good at this?"

He chuckled against her skin as they crashed against each other while her legs wrapped around his hips to bring him in closer.

"To satisfy you," he responded.

"I'm not sure I'll ever to truly satisfied," she groaned as he found one of her sensitive spots on her neck.

He stilled his actions as he looked at her in horror.

"To be satisfied means to meet the needs, expectations or desires," she responded as she dug her heals into his back side to encourage him to keep going, "I'm not sure that my needs, expectations or desires for you will ever be fulfilled because doesn't that mean that I wouldn't need you any more, and I couldn't see a situation in which that would ever happen."

"As much as I appreciated what a bookworm you were at Constance and then at NYU, I'd very much appreciate if you didn't quote Webster's Dictionary at the moment I'm making love to you," he responded as he used his lips to silence any response she appeared to be forming. She whimpered against him as she fought to get his robe free so that she could roam his back. True to his earlier promise, he read her mind and quickly divested himself of the robe so she had free range all while keeping his rhythm steady.

She was so close, he could feel her climb higher with each thrust.

"Chuck!" she called out as she crashed over the edge as her nails dug into his skin. He hissed at the pain but kept going as he did his best to draw her orgasm out for as long as he could. When he knew she could take no more, he allowed himself his release.

"Are the next six months going to be just like this?" she gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

"Do you want them to be?" he teased.

"God, yes," she groaned.

"Baby, I need to finish your dinner," he stated as he tried to pull away. She kept her legs firmly clamped around his waist. She pouted as he untangled her legs and pulled away, picking up his robe as he went. "Will you make sure our child has your pout?"

Blair picked up a piece of fruit and launched it towards him, hitting him squarely in the back as he returned their dinner back to the stovetop to finish cooking. Chuck spun around in surprise and glared at her. That prompted her to throw another piece of fruit at him, this one missing him completely and landing in the pan that was cooking their dinner instead.

"Are you about done?" he scolded as he scooped the offending piece of food out of their dinner. "Since when do you have such an accurate arm? You usually throw worst than a girl."

She responded by launching the last piece of fruit she had at him. This one missed both him and the pan and landed with a splat on the wall in front of him. Chuck was dying with laughter by that point.

"If you wanted a food fight, Mrs. Bass, all you needed to do is tell me. I'd be happy to dig more appropriate food out of the cupboards for you to use," Chuck managed to get out between fits of laughter as he tried to focus on his task at hand. "And you'd better stop before our housekeeper attacks you. I can't protect you from her. You know how much she frightens me."

"I miss Dorota," Blair sighed.

"One day I will manage to pry her away from your mother," he vowed as he began plating their dinner.

"I know," she nodded confidently.

"Blair, you need to put your robe back on," Chuck requested as he put the finishing touches on their meal.

"Why?" she inquired as she slipped back into the piece of silk that was pooled behind her. She couldn't help but notice who he was avoiding looking directly at her since he returned to his cooking.

"I have always appreciated the beauty of your naked form, but now that you're pregnant with my child, that beauty has increased a hundred fold," he explained, "And that is increasing my usual desire for you exponentially."

"So you're saying by avoiding looking at me naked is the only way you can concentrate of anything other than making love to me," she summarized.

"Yes," he nodded as he finished their dinners and was plating them both. When he turned around she had removed the robe once more. He groaned with his need as he crossed the kitchen so that he was standing before her. The plates were put on each side of her before he pulled her close and made love to her once more as if to prove his point about how turned on he was by her. Their food would be a little cold when the eventually got around to eating it, but neither minded.

**TBC. . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Chuck, will you please help me?" Blair inquired as they dressed for dinner. Their family would be over any minute and she was struggling with her decision of what to wear. It had been nearly a week since Chuck realized that Blair was pregnant, and everyone he encountered noticed how happy he appeared to be. The pair didn't want to favor one person over another when they told their happy news, so Chuck proposed a family dinner.

Blair had been going through her wardrobe since she return home two hours prior. Her pregnant stomach was making most of her clothes difficult to fit into, and she didn't want to go maternity clothes shopping until after they began telling people. She could only imagine what type of chaos that would be stirred if photographs of her shopping for maternity clothes made the rounds before anyone had been told the news.

Chuck stepped up behind her and began zipping up the dress that she had finally deemed appropriate for the occasion while his lips ravaged her neck. Her hair was swept up exposing the nape of her neck to him which might as well have been an invitation as she knew he couldn't help himself. She was practically daring him.

"You look beautiful," Chuck whispered against her ear as he managed to pry his lips away from her skin.

"Do I look pregnant in this dress?" she inquired as she studied her appearance in the mirror.

"You are pregnant," Chuck pointed out as he caressed her stomach through the material of her dress with as amused smile on his face.

"Yes, but I don't want to look pregnant until after we tell everyone," she explained as she relaxed against his embrace. Caressing her stomach had always been a turn on for him, but she was still getting used to the affectionate touch he was using now.

Chuck was glowing in happiness at the prospect of being a father. She saw it in his eyes every time she looked in them. There was also a twinge of fear that she guessed was associated with what had happened to his mother. There was going to be a conversation that they would need to have in the not to distant future, but for now she wanted him to enjoy this joyous time in their life.

"I should go check on the caterer to see how things are coming," Blair announced as she pulled away.

"Let me take care of that," he requested as he stepped around her quickly. He had disappeared from the room before she had a moment to protest.

Blair chuckled with amusement. He hadn't been joking when he told her that she wouldn't need to lift a finger for the rest of her pregnancy. Every detail that she normally took care of in their home suddenly went to him. He helped her dress each morning and undress each evening. He made sure that he was home before she was each evening, waiting on her hand and foot. It would have been irritating if he hadn't looked so adorable.

He insisted on her bathing each evening as a way for her to relax from any potential stress she had felt during her day at the loft. Their bathroom was set up with dozens of fragrant candles chosen because of their claim of stress relief. The bath itself was overflowing with bubbles. He never joined her despite her repeated requests, instead he sat beside the tub and read to her as she relaxed against the porcelain.

They'd been reading to each other since the first year of their relationship. Always it had been poetry or some famous piece of fiction, but suddenly he began reading children's fairytales to her. She'd looked at him in surprise when he first uttered the line, 'Once Upon A Time', but she said nothing as she let him continue as she lost herself in stories she was remembering from her childhood.

As she studied him as he read to her, she could see the excitement in his eyes as he narrated the story, as if he was hearing them for possibly the first time. It brought a tear to her eyes when it suddenly occurred to her that he probably was. He'd never had a consistent adult presence in his life other than his cold, distant father, so it wasn't too much of a leap to believe that he hadn't been read to at bedtime as she had been either by Dorota or her father.

Chuck returned moments later to announce that the caterers were on schedule.

"I found a few new stories to read to you," Chuck announced with pride as he pulled her into his arms and held her close. It was as if he was reading her mind. He'd said that every night that week. She was going to need to ask Eugenia this evening if Chuck used his lunch time each day to go to different bookstores around the city.

"Really," she prompted him as her arms came around his shoulders, "What will you be treating me with this evening?"

"Something about a princess and a frog," he responded. He hadn't remembered the title of the book, but the synopsis on the back cover had intrigued him. It sounded so much like the two of them, the beautiful princess and the slimy frog that eventually would turn into her handsome prince. Blair merely smiled as she pulled him close for a kiss.

Nate had been the first of their guests to arrive for dinner that evening, followed closely by Serena. He wanted to have a few moments alone with Chuck before the rest of the dinner party arrived. Serena had pulled Blair in the opposite direction as Nate walked into Chuck's office at his friend's urging.

"Were you right?" Nate asked after requesting a drink from Chuck's private collection of scotch. Nate knew Chuck rarely ever drank any of the liquor in his home, only when he requested it. Chuck never let him drink alone, so Nate was surprised when Chuck poured him a drink, but didn't pour one for himself.

"Yes, I was," Chuck confirmed as he smiled brightly as he handed his best friend the glass.

"That's fantastic!" Nate exclaimed as he slapped his friend's shoulder before accepting the drink, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Chuck responded with a happy grin.

"How long until you add your new addition to the family?" Nate inquired as he took his first sip of the amber liquid, enjoying the feel of the alcohol as it slid smoothly down his throat.

"Blair's three months pregnant already," Chuck responded as he leaned against the mahogany desk, "This still doesn't seem real. I've been living in a dream world since the moment she confirmed it."

"She looks incredible," Nate noted. It was the first thing he noticed about Blair when she greeted him that evening. She was glowing with happiness. There was a slight pain in his heart at the realization that he never would have been able to give that to her, but he was working through that pain. Chuck was her heart. He'd accepted that when she'd requested that he finally let her go on her wedding day. "I don't know if I've ever seen her look as radiant as she is today, which is hard to believe because she was breaktakingly beautiful on your wedding day."

"I remember," Chuck responded as he picked up his platinum framed photograph of her in her wedding dress. He had two identical portraits, one at his office at work, and one on his desk at home. His breath caught as it always did for a moment as he looked at the picture. It wasn't the picture that caused the reaction, although she still looked like an angel, but the memory that the picture inspired which was the moment he saw her for the first time in her gown on her father's arm. "And you're right, pregnancy agrees with her."

"Agrees with both of you," Nate amended, "You look really happy, Man."

"I am really happy," Chuck added, "A family of my own with Blair is something that I've always wanted. Things are going to be so much different for this child then when they were when we were growing up. This child will be giving all of the love, attention, and support that he or she needs from both of her parents."

"I know, Man," Nate assured his friend as he saw his eyes darken with the memory of what he went through with his father. "You are not Bart."

"Did you know that my father was actually excited to be a father when my mother was pregnant with me?" Chuck asked as his eyes moistened with the unshed tears that were building in his eyes.

Nate looked at his friend in confusion.

"Lily told me on my wedding day," Chuck explained, "Both he and my mother wanted to be parents. I guess losing her was as hard for him as the thought of losing Blair would be for me."

"Blair is going to be okay," Nate assured Chuck when the tears began building even further.

"I don't want to allow myself to even go to that place," Chuck stated as he began struggling to find the right words as he fought off the tears. He knew that if he let himself start, he wouldn't be able to stop himself and he'd been doing so well. "But if the worst does happen, don't let me get to that place. Don't let me turn into Bart."

"I won't," Nate assured him.

"Thank you," Chuck responded, his voice grateful.

"Which do you want, a boy or a girl?" Nate asked, hoping to shift the conversation from the sober tone it was taking.

"Naturally, I want a healthy child first and foremost, but I'm hoping for a girl," Chuck smiled brightly, "I want a little Blair running around, with the perfectly curled pigtails and the crisply pressed dress."

"Remember the little white gloves she used to wear," Nate laughed.

"I remember every little detail," Chuck assured him.

"You were always in love with her, weren't you," Nate realized.

"For every day that I can remember," Chuck nodded.

"And now here you are, married to her and expecting your first child together," Serena announced as both she and Blair stood in the doorway. Blair quickly went to his side and kissed him. The tears in his eyes dried instantly as he held her for a few moments. Serena waited patiently for Chuck and Blair to separate before she went to hug him as she wanted to.

"Congratulations, Chuck!" Serena squealed as she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Sis," Chuck smirked.

"Chuck and I want the two of you to be godparents," Blair announced. She knew Chuck had already asked Nate, but she wanted to formalize it by asking both of them together.

"Of course," Serena responded as Nate shook his head in agreement.

"A new adventure for the non-judgmental breakfast club," Blair announced as Chuck's arms went around her waist and pulled her close, "Parenthood." He kissed her once more as they heard the elevator chime to announce the arrival of the first of their guests.

* * *

"Eugenia, Cedric," Blair stated as she greeted their first guests warmly with a hug, "Thank you for coming this evening."

"As always, thank you for having us, Blair," Cedric stated as he kissed her cheek in greeting. There was no formality needed anymore. Chuck and Blair had dinner nearly once a month with his assistant and her husband.

"I brought you something," Eugenia stated as she held out a bright yellow bag with blue and pink bunnies on it.

"Chuck," Blair scolded as she looked at the platinum baby rattle that was inside the bag.

"I didn't tell her," Chuck responded defensively as he scowled playfully at his assistant as Blair produced the rattle for him to view.

"No, he didn't," Eugenia assured Blair, "I guessed. I caught him researching children's stories online one day when he was supposed to be working. Congratulations, Blair."

"Thank you," Blair stated, "But you have to act surprise when we tell everyone tonight."

"Of course," Eugenia laughed.

Nate promptly reminded Cedric that there was a Yankee/Red Sox game on that night so the three men disappeared into the den to watch some of the game coverage as they waited for the rest of their guests to arrive. At random intervals Cedric would call out as Nate and Chuck would groan in disappointment. Clearly the Red Sox were winning, which thrilled Cedric, who was a lifelong Red Sox's fan.

Blair began asking Eugenia certain questions about what to expect during her pregnancy, as she was the person she felt most comfortable asking that had actually experienced pregnancy. When more guests began to arrive, Chuck and Blair left their discussions with their friends and began playing hosts to their party.

"Before we all sit down to dinner this evening," Chuck began once everyone had arrived, "Blair and I have gathered you all tonight so that we can share very happy news with all of you. Blair is three months pregnant with our first child."

Everyone in the room squeal in delight.

Lily quickly embraced her adopted son, absolutely thrilled at the prospect of becoming a grandmother for the first time.

Eleanor was a little more tentative in her response and hug for Blair, but Blair could see that Eleanor was happy with the news as evidence by the fact that she hugged Chuck as well. Eleanor blushed as she produced a small blue box.

Blair opened the box promptly to see a platinum charm bracelet that she remembered her mother wearing when she was younger.

"It was a gift that Harold's mother gave me when I was pregnant with you. Your father and I want you to have it," Eleanor explained as Blair looked at her in confusion.

"He doesn't even know yet," Blair stated as she became even more confused as she studied the bracelet closely. There appeared to be several new charms added that she couldn't remember.

"We figured that was going to be your news when I got this invitation. Your father would like you to call him as soon as possible. He's waiting up for your call," Eleanor explained, "He was so excited about the possibility. He sent the new charms overnight from Paris."

Blair nodded with an amused grin, "After dinner."

"We can wait, Blair," Serena assured her, "You should call your dad."

Blair nodded as Chuck pulled her into his office so they could take a few private moments. Chuck quickly dialed her father's phone number and put the call on speaker, which her father answered immediately.

"Congratulations, Sweetheart," Harold stated as soon as he answered the phone.

"Thank you, Daddy," Blair stated as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Is Charles with you," Harold inquired.

"Yes, Daddy, he's right here next to me. We have you on speaker," Blair stated as Chuck hugged her from behind as he tried to comfort her as the tears began to flow more freely. Her hormones were in full effective as she sniffled.

"Congratulations to you too, Charles," Harold stated.

"Thank you," Chuck stated as Blair clung to him.

"Roman and I will be coming soon to stay in New York, so that we can be there for the birth of our first grandchild," Harold stated as the excitement filled his voice.

"I can't wait," Blair stated as tears fell harder.

"Take care of them, Charles," Harold requested, his voice thick with emotion.

"With my life," Chuck assured his father-in-law.

"I'll let you get back to your dinner party and the celebration that I'm sure you're having," Harold stated, "We can talk more in a few days. Start all of the arrangments. I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you too," Blair stated as the call ended. Blair was crying hysterically as she spun in his arms and threw hers around his shoulders. Chuck knew not the panic. He knew that she was really happy, and that her hormones had taken over her usual composure. He continued to hold her and let her cry herself out. "I'm being ridiculous right now."

"You're being pregnant," he corrected her as he wiped her tears.

"You have six more months of this," she stated as she turned to try fixing her makeup by using the mirror on one wall.

"I look forward to every minute of it," he assured her as he laughed softly.

"I apologize in advance for anything crazy I say or make you do," she replied.

"It will be worth it when we told our child for the first time," he assured her.

"Our child," she repeated as she smiled happily. Chuck knelt down, raising her dress hem so that he could kiss her bare pregnant stomach. Blair began giggling. "Chuck that tickles."

Chuck continued to caress her stomach with his lips.

"We have a penthouse full of guests," Blair reminded him as her fingers found their way into his hair.

Chuck groaned as he forced himself to pull away and lower the skirt of her dress back down. "We'll finish this later."

"Yes, we will," she agreed as the lust she felt at the moment filled her voice. "I love you, Chuck."

"I wish there was some word that went beyond love that I could use," Chuck stated as he kissed her deeply, "Love gets used to casually. What I feel for you is anything but casual."

"I know," she assured him, "And I know that you aren't casual with the word."

"I love you," he responded as he kissed her once more before they returned to the party that had ensued in their absence. Nate had found a bottle of champagne that had been chilling in their fridge since Chuck had closed a recent deal at the office a few months prior. He and Blair had forgotten about the champagne as they headed straight for their bedroom to celebrate the best way they knew how, in bed with each other.

Nate quickly handed both Chuck and Blair glasses of champagnes much to the horror of Serena as she snatched the glass away from Blair as quickly as he'd handed it off.

"Nate, what is wrong with you!" Serena gasped, "Pregnant women can't drink alcohol."

"That's the problem," Chuck added dryly as he handed his glass of champagne back to Nate, "His mother didn't know that rule."

"Funny," Nate snapped before his eyes softened as he looked at the extra glass in his hand, "Aren't you drinking in celebration?"

"No," Chuck shook his head, "Blair, can't drink, so it's the least I can do and give it up along with her."

"That's so thoughtful," Serena squealed.

"He's not giving up much," Blair added, "He rarely drinks anymore anyways."

"I'm beginning to notice," Nate stated as he polished off his glass before he began on Chuck's, "What happened to my boy? Drinks like a fish. Has an appreciation for single malt scotch?"

"He's there somewhere," Blair observed as her arm went around his shoulder to rub it affectionately, "He still drinks when he has a tough day at the office."

"I've just found a better outlet for venting my frustrations," Chuck grinned devilishly as he looked to Blair.

"Please stop before Nate makes you finish that thought," Serena groaned. Blair and Serena never discussed Blair's sex life at Serena's request, but she had a feeling that Nate and Chuck didn't have the same silent agreement. Blair began laughing at the disgusted look on her best friend's face as she felt her stomach begin to rumble with hunger.

"Dinner, your child is hungry," Blair whispered into Chuck's ear. That sent Chuck into action as he directed everyone into the dining room where the caterers were finishing setting up the meal.

**TBC. . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Do you want to know or do you want to be surprised?" Blair inquired as she lay in bed that evening. Dinner with their family had gone very well. Everyone was so happy and excited for the new adventure pair were beginning.

Chuck was still moving around their bedroom as he hung up his suit jacket and tie before throwing the rest of his clothes and hers into the dry cleaning pile for their housekeeper to bring to the cleaners in a few days.

"Surprised by what?" Chuck inquired as he paused to look at her. He had lit the relaxation scented candles when they retired for the evening. Blair found this new ritual highly amusing, but she let him have his fun. It seemed to keep him calm.

She looked absolutely stunning in the candlelight that bathed the room. Her curls had been released and cascaded around her shoulders. She was in a knee length ivory white nightgown that Chuck had purchased for her days earlier along with several other garments. The gown hugged her curves ever so slightly and accentuated her slight stomach bump.

"Do you want to know if we're having a boy or girl, or do you want to be surprised?" she elaborated as she rubbed her stomach affectionately.

Chuck came to her side in only a pair of boxers and pressed his lips softly to her stomach through the silk fabric. Blair closed her eyes to savor the feeling. His breath ever so slightly warmed her skin.

"All I want to know is if our child and its mother are healthy," he mumbled against her skin.

Blair had her first sonogram the next morning. She was nervous about asking him if he wanted to be there. Serena had already volunteered if Chuck decided he didn't want to go.

"Do you want to go with me tomorrow to my appointment?" Blair spoke quickly so that her words almost ran into each other.

"Repeat that a little slower, Baby," he chuckled softly against her skin. He couldn't understand what she had to be nervous about with him. The hesitation in her eyes was finally gone after she spilled her pregnancy secret the week prior for which he was immensely grateful. He thought that her revelation would eliminate any tension between them, but he must have been wrong.

"I have my first sonogram tomorrow. Do you want to be there?" Blair spoke slower as she started to ramble on, "If you don't want to be, I completely understand, and Serena said she would go with me."

"I have been giving this some thought," he replied as he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her, "I want to be there for you and our child . . . but I know you see how terrified this is making me. As I've told you, I want a child with you, Blair, but I'm afraid that all of my insecurities and pain that come with my mother dying while giving birth to me will cripple me in the wrong moments. I think having Serena with you is the best option for all of us."

Blair nodded as she sat up to kiss away the tears that had trickled down his cheeks.

"I still want to be a part of this pregnancy," he insisted as he caressed her stomach, "I want to help you get the nursery ready, and shop for baby clothes and toys. I want to satisfy all of those weird food cravings that pregnant women are famous for getting. I just don't think I can be there for the doctors' appointments or the delivery."

"Okay," she agreed as she captured his lips. "It's okay. I know how difficult this will be for you. I know how scared you are that you'll lose me, but that isn't going to happen. I'm going to be just fine."

"With all my heart, I want to believe you," he responded as he captured her lips again, "I'm sure my father believed my mother, but she didn't make it. For most of my life, I have been defined by that loss. My father never fully recovered from it, and by extension, I have never fully recovered. You have turned my life around and made me see the good in it, but there is still that part of me that is waiting for the bad to come knock me back down to reality. These years that we have had together have been amazing, but the pessimist in me is waiting for that to come crashing down."

"I know," she responded as she caressed his back gently, "And I am going to do whatever I can to see you through this. When we hold our child in our arms for the first time, I hope you'll be able to finally see how powerful our life together is. Nothing is strong enough to tear us apart."

"I love you so much that I almost believe that," he replied as he pressed his forehead to hers as his hand continued to caress her stomach gently.

"I love you," she replied as she laid back against the pillows so that he could have better access to her stomach. He spent several moments each night caressing her stomach with his hands and his lips while talking softly to their child. She didn't invade their private conversations by listening in. She allowed them their private time.

"I can't wait to hold this child in my arms," Chuck stated as he slid up to capture her lips with his after his private moments with their child ended.

"Me either," Blair agreed as she caressed his chin gently, "I want this child to have your eyes . . . your mother's eyes, she looks to have had a kind heart just like I see in you."

"Blair," he choked out. They had never really talked much about his mother. They'd worked through the pain of his father's loss, although there was one day a year that left him paralyzed with pain and anger, the anniversary of his father's death. It appeared with each passing year that the pain was becoming worse and worse. It forced Blair to become more and more creative with ways to see him through.

"We don't talk about her," she stated, "We should."

"There isn't much to talk about," he sighed as a tear slid down his cheek, "Bart never mentioned her, and there were very few people in my life that knew her."

"You have her eyes," Blair stated as she kissed each of his eyelids as they fluttered closed.

"And her smile," he nodded, "That was one of the few things that my father told me rather reluctantly. It was a rare occurrence that he spoke about her that it surprised me."

"She was a philanthropist," Blair stated as she ran her fingers through his chocolate hair, "She loved to champion charitable causes. She was one of the first people in the UES that saw the need to raise awareness for the AIDS epidemic, long before it became the socially popular cause it became."

"How do you know this?" he inquired curiously as he kissed her neck softly. He smiled at the gasp that escaped from her lips as his closed around her collarbone.

"You aren't the only that was curious about her," she assured him as she nudged him away gently so she could concentrate on their conversation. She knew he was trying to distract her from their current conversation, but she didn't want to be interrupted.

"She also loved environmental causes. She was always pushing my father to be smart about his development projects, to go 'green' before that term was even coined," he added as he conceded to her wish of having the conversation, "She was such a forward thinker. I often wonder how the world would be different if she'd lived. Mine obviously would have."

"You would have been happier," Blair stated.

"Probably," he nodded, "At least as a child."

"Do you think we still would have ended up together?" she asked, her eyes darkening with the sadness that told him that she didn't think they would have.

"I don't know," he sighed, "I like to think that we are inevitable, but I'm not so sure that we would have ever met. I wouldn't have gone to the same school. I wouldn't have moved in the same circles. I wouldn't have had the same life. Having said all that, I think we could have found each other."

"I would have made sure to find you," Blair stated, "We're too perfect for each other to waste on someone else."

"Yes, we were," he laughed softly as he began kissing her stomach again, "I'd like to think that I'm taking on some of my mother's work with what we're doing at Bass now with the medical research we're expanded into and the environmental acquisitions that we've made."

"She'd be proud of you," Blair assured him as she continued running her fingers through his hair. His eyes closed as he savored the feel of her painted nails lightly scratching his scalp.

"She would have loved you," Chuck stated as he captured her lips.

"And I would have loved her," Blair agreed, "How could I not? She gave me you."

"Bart would have loved you too," Chuck stated as he kissed her again, a little deeper that time, "He would have loved the influence that you had over me . . . the calming effect you have on me."

"I wouldn't have told you I loved you when I did if he hadn't died," Blair stated as tears fell down her cheeks.

"I already knew how you felt," he confessed, "As I told you that night I came to you after the debacle in Brooklyn, it wasn't that the words weren't true, it was because we knew that as soon as they were said that it wouldn't be the start of something it would be the end. I just wish I realized that it would have been the end of my unhappiness."

"So much wasted time," she sighed, "All the stupid games we played with each other."

"It's the past, Waldorf," he reminded her as he linked his fingers with hers, "We're here now, together."

"I love you, Bass," she sighed happily.

"I love you, Waldorf-Bass," he smirked.

"It just doesn't roll off the tongue like it used to," she chuckled.

"I'm open for suggestions," he laughed along with her.

"How about we go with Bass," she suggested.

"Your legal last name is Waldorf-Bass," he pointed out as he began nibbling against her neck.

"What if I changed it to just Bass," she inquired as she lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I'd never let you," he assured her as he stopped his ministrations to look in her eyes, "As much as I like to tease you about it, I love that you feel independent enough to keep your last name."

"Your mother took your father's last name," Blair pointed out as her hands caressed the nape of his neck, tugging gently at the ends of his hair.

"She wasn't Blair Waldorf-Bass," Chuck stated as he kissed her.

"Remember what I said last week about pregnancy making me more insatiable than usual," she cooed seductively in his ear.

"How could I forget?" he laughed, "We've spent nearly every waking hour together in bed. I don't know how we've managed to pry ourselves away from each other to go to our offices. We've even managed to sneak away from our work to be together, which is more difficult for you at the moment than me because of fashion week right around the corner."

"My point is," she rolled her eyes at his response.

"Yes, by all means, get to your point," he grinned expectantly.

"We haven't made love all evening," she replied, "And my hormones are screaming out for you."

"Is that so," his grin grew wider.

"Chuck, I've never had to beg for you to make love to me, please don't make me start now when I'm pregnant with your child," she snapped as she pulled him on top of her forcefully. He had no warning as he landed in a heap on top of her. His eyes went wide with fear that he had hurt her and their child.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly as he pulled away frantically.

Blair was giggling incessantly at his overreaction.

"Not funny, Waldorf," he growled, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she continued laughing.

"And the baby," he pressed as his hands went reflexively to her stomach as he caressed her gently. He felt his stomach churning with the possibility that he could have harmed her or their child.

"Fine," she assured him as her hand closed around his, "You barely fell on me."

"What the hell were you thinking, pulling me on top of you like that!" he exclaimed with the outrage he felt.

"Don't snap at me," she hissed back, "You are overreacting! I am a hundred percent okay, and so is our child."

"I'm sorry," he sighed in relief as he apologized for his harsh tone. If she was feisty enough to be yelling at him, she was as okay as she said she was, "Though I do want a written report from your doctor tomorrow confirming just how fine you are."

"Fine, as long as you finish what we have yet to start. Chuck, I'm dying here," Blair stated as she grabbed a hold of his shoulders and began shaking him, "Please, Chuck, I need you."

His hands instantly went to the hem of her nightgown, lifting it up over her head. He sat back for a few moments to gaze over her features. She was now clad in only a pair of ivory La Perla panties. He found himself flashing back to their wedding night. She had worn a similarly colored nightgown and panties. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the similarities until that moment. He wasted little time in tearing them from her body as he proceeded to ravage her that fateful evening. She hadn't worn anything similar to that ensemble until this current night.

"Do you realize what these resemble?" Chuck inquired as he slid her panties off of her body as he began caressing her thighs affectionately while holding up the pair of panties for her to view.

Her mind was too clouded with lust to have any idea what he could be referencing. All she wanted was for him to take her, not play guessing games. "Chuck," she moaned in desperation, "Please."

"Our wedding night," he prompted her as he threw the garment over his shoulder, "The night we made love so many times we sleep through the entire next day due to exhaustion."

"The trip down memory lane is not helping matters right now, especially that memory," Blair gasped as one of his hands closed around the sensitive bud of her breast.

"We've had a lot of spectacular evenings, but I don't know if I ever lost feeling in my lower extremities like I did that night," he chuckled.

"That was the only way we were going to stop," she added in amusement before she moaned as he lips closed around her breast, her back arching in pleasure. "Chuck!"

"I love how you call out my name in the throes of passion," he mumbled against her skin, "You are the most exquisite creature on earth when you're moaning out my name. My name always felt like a curse until you came along."

"Now it's a cure," she gasped as her hands found their way into his hair, holding him close so that he couldn't escape if he had any thought of it, "My cure."

His boxers quickly found their way to the floor as he slid into her. Her moans of joy spurred him on as his hands and lips worked in unison to bring her the pleasure she so desperately sought. She repeatedly arched herself into him with each thrust he made inside her. He knew which buttons to push to bring her the release she needed, but tonight he wanted to prolong her joy. When her moans usually spurred him to move quicker, tonight he slowed down. Her cries turned desperate.

"Please, Chuck, not tonight," she gasped as she forced his lips to come down on hers as she thrust her tongue in between his lips, the one control she had of their current union. "Please give me my release. I need it so desperately . . . we need it so desperately."

Chuck saw the tears of joy in her eyes and took pity on her, bringing her to her point of oblivion. He collapsed next to her after he released inside her. They were both panting for air as they tried to recover.

"Thank you," she stated as she rolled towards him once she finally caught her breath.

"For what?" he asked curiously as he wrapped her in his arms protectively.

"For always being what I need when I need it," she stated as she ran her fingers through the hairs at his chest. "I love you so much, you and this family we are creating."

"I love you, Blair," he replied as he captured her lips with his as he kissed her softly, "You and this child we created out of our love for each other. You are giving me the best gift anyone could ever give me."

"You're giving me that same gift," she replied as she kissed him in response as his ringed left hand settled on her stomach. Blair turned slightly so that she was resting on her side so that her left hand could settle over his, their rings coming together like magnets as they fell into a blissful slumber.

**TBC. . . **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Doctor Finch, my overprotective husband is requiring a note from you stating that my pregnancy is progressing normally and that me and our child are in tip top shape," Blair stated as she rubbed her stomach affectionately as her appointment was finishing. "Also, he might have a specialist contact you wanting to consult."

The appointment had gone extremely well. They had done the sonogram just as she had told Chuck she would. Both her and Serena had tears of joy in their eyes as they caught their first glimpse of Blair's child. She couldn't get over the sound of the tiny little heart was beating so fast. She was grateful to have her best friend at her side, but she couldn't help but wish that Chuck could have been there. The picture the doctor had printed for her was already safely tucked into her day planner. She couldn't wait to show Chuck later that evening when she got home.

"Has he really said that?" Serena asked with a giggle in her voice.

"Not about the specialist, but I know Chuck," Blair glanced over at her leggy blonde best friend who was sitting in the chair next to her with her hand held tightly still. It had been quite the trick to redress after the sonogram as Serena didn't want to release her hand until Blair demanded it back. She certainly wasn't going to let her best friend help her. She was irritated enough that Chuck was still insisting on doing it. "Overkill should have been his middle name."

"I'll have my notes typed up immediately, and I'll have it sent via messenger to your office by this afternoon," Doctor Finch, her obstetrician, assured her.

"Thank you," Blair stated with a satisfied grin.

"Please tell Mister Bass, that you and your child are completely healthy, and everything is progressing like normal. If he should have any questions, he can contact me at any time," her doctor assured her.

"Doc, I wouldn't recommend you giving Chuck your home phone number," Serena chimed in as she snatched the card he had tried to hand to Blair, "He'll start calling you at all hours of the day or night whenever Blair has the slightest twinge."

"The busty blonde makes a valid point," Blair smirked in amusement.

Her doctor had been ogling Serena plunging neck line and long legs since the moment they had stepped into his office earlier. She was certain that Serena was oblivious to the looks as she always had been, but Blair noticed immediately as she had throughout all the years of their complicated friendship. There was a time when it would have made Blair jealous as she always saw that Serena had the perfect life, but the tables were now turned. She was the one with the perfect life and the perfect husband. Serena hadn't been in a serious relationship in quite some time.

"If Mister Bass has any questions, please have him call me, during work hours preferably," Doctor Finch stated, blushing with the realization that his patient had discovered his crush on her friend.

"I'll do my best to keep him under control," Blair laughed as she snatched the card from Serena's hand and shoved it unceremoniously into her handbag as she stood from her chair.

"I'll want to see you again in a few weeks," Doctor Finch instructed her.

"We'll be here," Blair assured him.

"How was your appointment?" Chuck inquired as he guided Blair to the bathroom and the bubble bath that was awaiting her that evening as she stepped off the elevator. She was fairly certain that he was neglecting his work by leaving the office early, but she didn't have the heart to confront him about it yet. Like so many other topics, that too would wait for a different day.

"The notes from Doctor Finch are in my bag," she stated as she allowed him to undress her. She'd learned quickly to let him do the work. He would only glare at her if he didn't get his way. "He said that everything is going wonderfully. He even gave us the first picture of our child."

"I want to see," he smiled widely as his eyes lit up with the excitement like she had never seen before. "Where did you leave your bag?"

"On the hall table by the elevator where it always is," she responded. He finished undressing her quicker than he normally did. He helped her step safely into the tub as she sunk into the awaiting bubbles.

"I'll be right back," he stated as he kissed her forehead before he disappeared from the bathroom as she settled into the warm soapy water. She was left to chuckle in amusement as she waited patiently for him to return. When he reentered he had the picture in his hand and a confused look on his face as he stared intently at the photo. "What am I looking at?"

"Our child," she giggled.

"It looks like the fuzzy picture that you get when the television isn't receiving a signal," he stated as he continued to stare at the image.

"Bring it here," she motioned him towards her as she bit back a laugh. She had thought the same thing until her doctor had taken the time to explain what she was looking at earlier during her appointment. "That is the head and those are the feet."

"And what is that?" he inquired as he pointed to another apparent appendage.

"That is a hand," she stated as she looked at where he was pointing. She had made it crystal clear to her doctor that they didn't want to know if she was having a boy or a girl. He had told her that it was a little too early to tell with any certainty either way but that he would keep it in mind for future appointments.

"Oh," he chuckled sheepishly.

"You said you didn't want to know," she frowned.

"And I don't," he assured her as he continued to study the picture closely, his eyes squinting as he strained to make out the image, "But if it becomes quite obvious, we're not going to ignore it."

"It's a hand," she repeated.

"I believe you," he nodded as he set the picture in a safe place on her vanity before he picked up their story for the evening.

"Chuck, why don't you join me this evening" Blair suggested as she reached for his hand when he took his usual perch next to her.

"This is your relaxation time," he shook his head, "We both know that if I join you, you'll be anything but relaxed."

"Please, Chuck," she whined childishly, "This tub feels so lonely without you with me."

"Relax," he scolded her as he opened the book and began his narration.

Blair reached out and knocked the book out of his hand before he was able to complete the first sentence. Chuck looked at her with a baffled expression on his face. He was torn between his amusement for her action, and anger at her ruining his plans.

"Join me or your precious book will," she stated as she reached over to grab it before he could react.

"Blair," he chuckled as his amusement finally won out.

"Five seconds," she warned him as she started counting in her head as she held the book high over her head, dodging each time his hand grasped for the it.

"That book is a first edition," he warned her, "Do you know how much it's worth?"

"Three seconds, Bass," she counted. She could care less about the material value of the item. It's only real value right now was the attachment that he was forming to the book and the fact that at any moment she could drop it into the water if he didn't do as she wished.

"Give me that book," he stated as he reached out to snatch the book out of her hand one last time. He sighed in relief as he managed to finally pry the book from her fingers. He quickly set the book out of her reach as her hands went to his shirt, yanking hard enough to throw him off balance. At the last possible moment, he was able to brace himself enough so that he didn't fall on top of her although his backside managed to get drenched in sudsy water.

Blair was giggling like a school girl as she maneuvered around in the tub to give him room to fall all the way in without the possibility of injuring her or their child.

"Waldorf," he groaned as his head emerged from under the water as he sputtered the water out of his mouth. Blair was laughing even harder as she reached out to wipe the suds away from his eyes, nose and mouth. "This isn't funny. This silk shirt is now completely ruined."

"So it's Waldorf today," she chuckled in amusement as she rolled her eyes. "I'll buy you another one." He continued to glare at her in annoyance. "Seriously Chuck, our combined net worth is in the billions of dollars, notice that I said billions which is plural. Are you really a little sore about ruining a five hundred dollar dress shirt?"

"Don't forget the thousand dollar pair of pants, the seven hundred dollar pair of shoes, and fifty dollar pair of boxers," he threw in.

"No socks?" she teased.

"And a thirty dollar pair of socks," he added, "Thanks for reminding me."

"So in total, I just ruined 2280 dollars worth of apparel," she added up quickly as she began unbuttoning his drenched shirt so she could peel it from his skin, "Not bad for a day's work."

"It's already ruined, you might as well rip it off," he suggested with a sly grin as she fumbled to get a hold of the slippery buttons.

"Gladly," she grinned as she tore open his shirt.

"We lose more clothes in the heat of the moment," he proclaimed as her hands went to his pants, pulling those open just as roughly. She looked as if she was on a mission to get him naked as quick as possible. It was a mission he was happy to let her take on.

"See, now isn't this relaxing," Blair stated as she sat him where she had been sitting in the tub once he was completely undressed so that she could sit herself in his lap. She brought his hands to her belly before her head feel back against his chest.

"What about the fairytale I planned to read?" he whispered as he looked over at the discarded book on the floor which was well out of his reach.

"Make one up," she responded in a quiet voice. They'd been reading enough fairytales over the past week that she figured he had the general gist as to what went into a good fairytale.

"Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess with beautiful auburn locks named Blair. She ruled the Upper East Side Kingdom with an icy glare and an equally cold interior. Nobody dared to get in her way for fear that she would turn them to stone," he began as he laced his fingers together with hers.

"Chuck, I don't like this story," she stated as she lifted her head, "You're turning me into the cold-hearted villain."

"I'm not finished yet," he chuckled softly as he coaxed her head back to its resting place on his chest.

"Continue," she pouted.

"Princess Blair appeared to have everything that her heart desired, enviable beauty, a magnificent royal palace, plentiful servants to wait on her hand and foot, loyal minions to follow her around eager to do her bidding in hopes that one day they would seek favor with her, and of course a handsome prince," he continued.

"Named Chuck," she sighed happily.

"Oh, no," he shook his head, "This handsome, but dimwitted prince was named Nathaniel."

"I'm telling Nate you called him dimwitted," she chuckled as she squirmed in his lap ever so slightly.

"Go ahead, Princess," he chuckled as he removed a piece of hair that had strayed into her eyes and kissed her cheek gently, "But will you wait until after I finish my story?"

"Yes, please continue," she nodded. She was eagerly anticipating how he would get himself included in the story. If she was the heroine, there was no way he was going to cast his best friend as her prince. Would he ride in on a silvery white horse with his colors blazing to save the day? Or would he duel his buddy to the death to win her heart?

"The dimwitted, yet handsome Prince Nathaniel dotted on Princess Blair . . . tried to be everything that she desired in a mate, but alas the Princess was not satisfied. She yearned for the one thing she had never had . . . passion, passion that came from finding her soul mate and one true love," he went on. Blair began to smile broadly as the story continued on.

"One day, an equally handsome, yet somewhat duplicitous prince by the name of Charles swept into the kingdom. He took one look at the beautiful flowing mane and doe eyes of Princess Blair and proclaimed that he would not rest until he made her his bride. For he could see in her eyes what those around her could not, her cool exterior was merely a façade, a window into her unhappiness. The charming but deceptive prince knew he needed to take action, so he set himself on a path to tear the betrothed Prince Nathaniel and Princess Blair apart.

"He feared that it could not be done as everywhere he went throughout the land he was told what a perfect match the pair were, but his fears were quickly diminished as it took no effort on his part to tear the lovebirds away from each other. Princess Blair took one look at the dark and mysterious new prince that had entered the kingdom and realized that she could not marry her intended for she was in love with the stranger with whom she had never spoken. She was desperate to find a way out, but everyone in the kingdom, included the King and Queen, her parents, were adamant that she marry Prince Nathaniel.

"The princess could no longer tolerate following the orders of others so she stole away in the middle of the night to a wondrous, if not slightly dangerous new land to the north that she knew Prince Charles ruled called Victrola (Blair began giggling at his reference). She approached the dark and mysterious prince, but found that she had no words that would adequately describe the feeling she felt inside for this stranger, so instead she decided to show the prince what was in her heart by gracing him with a dance. Prince Charles was so mesmerized by the beauty that was Princess Blair that he proposed marriage. The magnificent and wise princess eagerly agreed as they rode off into the sunset in a beautiful and spacious limousine where they feel into each other's arms, declaring their undying love for each other as the consummated their union over and over and over and over . . ."

"Okay, I get the point," she interrupted him as she began giggling uncontrollably.

"And they lived happily ever after," Chuck finished with a flourish as his eyes twinkled in amusement.

"I love that story," Blair grinned widely as she turned slightly in his lap so that she could caress his chest lovingly.

"I love that the story is really our life, and we are living our happily ever after," he stated as he took her hand on his chest, lifted it to his lips and kissed it lightly.

"You will be in charge of telling our child bedtime stories," she announced as her head came to a rest against his chest once more, "You're so much better at it than I could ever hope to be."

"I didn't believe in fairytales until you came into my life," he whispered as he captured her lips softly.

"I came into your life when we were children," she pointed out, "You didn't have to wait very long."

"Yes, I did. You didn't truly come into my life until that fateful night at Victrola. Before that evening, I was merely the nuisance in your fairytale with Nate. It took that night at Victrola for me to realize that I could be the star in your fairytale of a life, I just needed to stand up and be the prince you wanted," he explained.

"And you certainly are that prince," she mused as she nuzzled her nose against his neck, inhaling the faint hint of the cologne that still clung to his skin after his head first dive into the tub.

"I love you, Blair," he proclaimed as he rubbed her stomach gently.

"And I love you, my handsome yet slightly duplicitous Prince Charles," she giggled into his chest.

She suddenly felt a strange flutter against her stomach. Chuck felt it too as he tensed beneath her. "Chuck!" she gasped happily as her hand closed around his, moving it slightly so that he could feel the fluttering a little more intensely.

"What is that?" Chuck asked, his voice full of panic as the fluttering continued, "Do I need to call Doctor Finch? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong," she assured him quickly, "That's our baby kicking for the first time."

"Are you serious?" he gasped, his voice full of awe and wonderment.

"That is the proof of the love we have for each other making his or her presence known," she smiled as she looked into his eyes. His eyes were shining with the happiness that her proclamation brought him.

"The fairytale continues," he added as he kissed her once more.

**TBC. . .**

**Guardian Izz, my next chapter will be solely dedicated to you . . . Stay tuned.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Dedicated to Guardian Izz, who has been begging through each story for me to write something like this. I promise your requests were not ignored. I hope you enjoy.**

"Ms. Waldorf, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mister Bass's assistant just called. He's going to be a little late for your lunch. She said to order the most expensive thing on the menu and he'll be here as soon as he can," the hostess stated as she approached Blair's table. Blair had been tapping her fingernails against the table with annoyance that she felt asher husband had appeared to be standing her up, but she was greatly relieved that he was only running late.

"Thank you," Blair responded graciously as she began perusing the menu to find the most expensive item like her husband had suggested. It was only fair.

"A beautiful woman dining alone, that just doesn't look right," a middle aged gentleman with a receding hairline spoke up as he approached her table minutes later. "You look like you could use a dinner companion."

"Oh, my not eating alone," Blair began to speak. She didn't get to say anything further as the rude man cut her off.

"Certainly not anymore," the man stated as he took a seat next to her, his hand coming to rest on her knee. Blair quickly brushed it away as she discretely shifted further away from the intrusive man. As he spoke, she picked up the obvious Texan drawl as she glanced at the hideously cut suit he was wearing. If Chuck ever tried to leave their home in something like that, she would hog tie him. "I'm Fredrick Hill. I hope you don't mind me joining you. I'm in New York on a business trip, and I'm afraid I've been rather lonesome. I didn't realize New York was such an unfriendly city."

She tried to sound polite as she responded while subconsciously rubbed her belly. She could feel their child was as uneasy with the current situation as she was. "I'm afraid I do mind. I'm waiting for someone to join me. He should be here at any moment."

"A beautiful woman like yourself, no man should allow you to wait for them. I'm staying in a lovely penthouse at The Empire Hotel. I'd be happy to show it to you," Fredrick stated as he began ogling her breasts. It was so obvious, he was almost drooling.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm afraid I've already seen the penthouse at The Empire . . . several times in fact," Blair stated as she caught Chuck approach the hostess stand to inquire about his wife. Money came out of his pocket automatically as he spoke to the young woman. Blair needed to get rid of the annoying man before her husband created a scene. "And really if you know what is good for you, you'll leave right now."

"What is the hurry, Darling," the man stated as he slid in closer to her, his hand coming to rest at the small of her back.

"Mister Hill . . ." Blair stated as she brushed his arm away. She was fighting a queasy feeling in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was morning sickness or the unsettling feeling of the current situation. She had a feeling that it was the latter. She hadn't really been having morning sickness since she finally told Chuck she was pregnant. Had she known that he was the cure, she would have told him so much sooner.

"Fredrick," the man corrected her.

"Mister Hill," Blair insisted as his hand drifted to her knee once more as she saw the hostess showing Chuck to her table.

* * *

"Mister Bass, of course, your wife has been expecting you," the hostess stated as Chuck handed the woman a twenty dollar bill.

"How upset is she with my tardiness?" he inquired nervously. He'd been in a business meeting all morning with some out of town clients. There had been one man that just didn't know how to take no for an answer when Chuck told him he wasn't interesting in the additional opportunity he was trying to push. Chuck had already negotiated the deal that he wanted, and he was meeting with the group out of courtesy.

"Just a little antsy," the hostess chuckled as she discretly pocketed the money, "She calmed down when I told her that your assistant called to say you were going to be just a little late."

"She's going to murder me," Chuck mumbled under his breath as the hostess began to show him to Blair's table. Blair's mood swings were starting to become interesting as she approached the four month mark of her pregnancy. She wasn't outwardingly showing as of yet, as her tiny baby bump was still able to be concealed by most of her wardrobe, but her glow was breathtaking. He watched her wake up every morning with a smile on her face. How long it lasted each day, however, was anyone's guess.

Chuck saw red as soon as he realized that Blair wasn't sitting alone as he watched some complete stranger in a cheaply cut generic suit slide closer towards his wife and slide his hand up her thigh.

"Chuck!" Blair gasped as he approached the table, clearing his throat to announce his arrival. Her mystery dinner companion still had his back to Chuck as she quickly slid out of her seat and threw her arms around his neck to greet him. Her over eagerness to greet him told him that something was wrong with what he had just witnessed.

"You okay?" he whispered into her ear so that only she could hear. She shook her head slightly to let him know that she wasn't. Chuck took a deep breath as he prepared himself to go on the attack. "May I help you?"

"Look, buddy, I don't know you," the man stated as he stood up from the table and turned to face Chuck, "But the woman was throwing herself at m. . ."

"Mister Hill, is it not," Chuck stated as his eyes sparkled as recognition of who was sitting in his chair hit him. This was going to be fun, he realized. The other man's eyes went wide with horror as he looked at Chuck for the first time.

"You know each other?" Blair asked in surprise as her hand slid into her husband's as their fingers laced together.

"We do," Chuck nodded as his free hand began clinching and unclenching into a fist, "I've been trapped in a board room with this man all morning, listening to him drone on and on."

"Mis. . .ter Ba . . Bass. . ." Fredrick began stuttered, "I can ex . . explain."

"I'd love to hear you try," Chuck laughed darkly as Blair's hand tightened in his as if she was warning him to behave, "I'd love to hear how you chose, of all people, my wife to fondle over the wild arugula salad that she is sure to order. In case you missed it, she's married." Chuck quickly produced Blair's wedding and engagement ring that was on her hand that the man had apparently missed.

"She never said she was married," Fredrick stated defensively.

"When did you even give me the chance?" Blair scoffed, "Your hand was on my knee before you even sat down."

"If you have any wish of salvaging the business deal with Bass Industries that I am five seconds away from canceling, I think it is best if you leave," Chuck glared at him with menancing eyes, "Right now."

"Fine with me," Fredrick mumbled under his breath as he moved past the pair, "She seemed like a frigid bitch anyway."

Blair's eyes went wide as Chuck grabbed him by the back of his collar and hauled him out of the restaurant. She hadn't heard what the man had said, but she saw the look of pure hatred in her husband's eyes as he reached out to grab the man. It had been so long that she had seen that look that she almost didn't recognize it. She quickly reached for her purse as she followed him into a private room just off the main lobby that she recalled them using one afternoon for a private interlude just a few weeks earlier.

"Who the hell do you think you are insulting any woman in that way, let alone my breathtaking, _pregnant_ wife?" Chuck growled as he pinned Fredrick against the wall by his throat. The businessman's head slammed viciously against the wall. There was a very loud thud that made Blair a little nervous. She hoped Chuck didn't give the man a concussion.

"Chuck," Blair gasped as she tried to pull him away.

"Answer me," Chuck hissed as he continued to stare menacingly into the poor man's eyes as he thrusted him against the wall once more. The man began gasping as Chuck's hand had closed over his windpipe.

"Chuck, let him go," Blair stated as she forced his face to turn towards her so that she could calm him down. Chuck lost most of his rage as he looked into her pleading eyes. He quickly released Fredrick from his gasp. Fredrick fell on his hands and knees to the floor with his hand over his throat as he coughed in a breath of desperately needed air.

"You had better be out of my sight in five seconds," Chuck hissed at the man as Blair's arms went around him as she pulled into a hug, "And you can tell your colleagues that our deal is off. Good luck explaining to your boss why I pulled the deal which will cost your company fifty million dollars. I suspect you'll need a miracle to hold onto your job after that."

Fredrick stumbled to his feet as he raced for the door.

"Take a deep breath," Blair instructed him once they were alone. He was still stewing with rage that he didn't know what to do with. She could see in his eyes that he was tempted to chase the poor man down and finish what he had started. "You won't do me or our child any good of you end up in jail."

"I'm sorry for ruining our lunch," Chuck sighed as he pressed his forehead to hers as he took several deep breaths. His anger was subsiding as he held her close. He often marveled at the influence she had over his every mood. It was as if she was able to absorb every negative emotion that he had and replace it with a much more powerful and positive emotion.

"You didn't ruin anything," she assured him as she reached into her purse to find something she was sure to put any of his previous anger out of his mind for good, "It wasn't as if we planned on staying long in the restaurant anyways. We always have the food sent up to us in the hotel room that we manage to secure for ourselves." She pulled out a key card to the room she had waiting for him.

"Tell me you've already put in our order," he moaned as he snatched the card from her before he captured her lips in a desperate kiss.

"I was still deciding," she pulled away momentarily her eyes showing a suggestive twinkle as she continued, "Everything sounded so wonderful."

Chuck pulled her out of the room eagerly. He knew exactly what she had been inferring. He quickly stopped at the hostess stand to place their order for one of everything on the menu and to have it all sent to their room. The hostess nodded in understanding as she did as he requested. It wasn't the first time they had made a quick getaway from that particular restaurant, so she hadn't been the least bit surprised.

"You're so sexy when you get so protective of your pregnant wife," Blair cooed as they stepped into the elevator with his hand resting territorially on her pregnant stomach. Their child responded to the touch by fluttering against his hand. Chuck still wasn't used to the new development in her pregnancy and tensed slightly before her hand closed around his and smiled warmly. Suddenly her eyes began twinkling mysteriously. "I think I might have to start flirting with random strangers more often if this is how you're always going to react."

"Don't you dare," he scolded as he pulled her to him rougher than he normally would as he kissed her deeply. They couldn't get to their reserved room soon enough.

**TBC. . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Why is Chuck the one that gets to take you shopping?" Serena pouted as she spoke to her best friend by phone the morning she had called to invite Blair on her first trip to buy things for the baby. Blair happily declined as she had already planned on going with Chuck that day after he returned from his brief, but necessary, trip to his office that morning. Eugenia had already called Blair to assure her that he was leaving shortly so they could spend the day together as they had planned.

"He wants to be a part of this pregnancy," Blair shrugged, "You get the doctors' appointments and Lamaze classes, which start next week by the way, I hope you haven't forgotten."

"I haven't," Serena assured her as she quickly jotted down a note to herself to cancel the dinner date she had set up the previous evening with a man she met at some random bar. Blair was doing her a favor. She could already tell the man had no real potential for a lasting relationship which she was longing for, and had for a few years since Blair and Chuck first announced their long overdue engagement.

"Anyways, he is so eager for this adventure that he could hardly sleep last evening. He kept waking me up all night long . . ." Blair explained as she flipped through one of several Parisian baby catalogues that her father had sent her with items circled that he was hoping to purchase for his first grandchild. Roman and Harold were due to arrive in New York City in just a week for their extended stay. They had already decided that it would be a wise investment to purchase their own penthouse as now that they were becoming grandparents they would want to be visiting much more often than they currently did.

"Stop, don't want the details, remember," Serena cut her off.

"I was going to say because of his tossing and turning," Blair chuckled at her best friend's paranoia that she was going to slip in some detail of her sex life with Chuck. She knew how it turned Serena's stomach, so she happily agreed to not go into details. It was best for all parties involved, as she preferred her bedroom activities to be kept private anyways. Chuck wasn't quite as protective of their escapades, as he frequently regaled various details to Nate. She knew he mostly did it to tease his best friend and gently remind him who she had chosen.

"Not what I was expecting, but okay," Serena mumbled as she sighed gratefully.

"I'm not going to deny Chuck this experience. He's been doing so well through these last three months," Blair stated. She was just starting her third trimester, and she was beginning to understand what everyone said about being uncomfortable while pregnant. While she had been showing for two months, she felt as if she suddenly exploded when she hit the six month mark. There was no doubt now in anyone's mind that she was pregnant.

"I can understand that," Serena sighed in disappointment.

"But I won't stop you from doing any shopping for the baby on your own," Blair added. It was a forgone conclusion that the baby was going to be a spoiled rotten little prince or princess. He or she was going to have Chuck Bass as a father. If they had even a smidge of the influence over him that Blair had, he would not be able to deny their child anything.

Serena laughed out at Blair's remark. "I'll keep that in mind."

Blair heard the elevator door chime. She figured correctly that it was Chuck returning from the office so she quickly ended the call with Serena before she waddled to greet him.

"How was the office?" Blair inquired as she leaned in to greet Chuck with a kiss as he set his cell phone and briefcase on the table in the entry way.

"Fine," he shrugged as he pulled her closer and deepened their kiss as his fingers tangled in her hair. She never failed to marvel at the fact the he still found her attractive even with the extra weight she was now carrying. She felt like a blimp on a good day, but he still had the same lustful stare as he always did when they made love which was still a daily occurrence. "There was just some paperwork that needed to be overnighted to Japan that required my signature first."

"Anything interesting?" she inquired. His work was branching out into more fashionable pursuits within the last year, so she was always curious when he was in the middle of a new acquisition.

"Nothing really," he shook his head as he touched her belly as he smiled widely. Their child responded to the touch by kicking around in her stomach. Chuck's smile widened as he felt the movements. "How are my two favorite people this morning?"

"Excited," Blair replied as her eyes lit up.

"I told Eugenia that I wouldn't have my cell phone on for the rest of the weekend, so you have my undivided attention," he added as he made a showing of turning his cell phone off for her to witness.

"Good," Blair grinned as she leaned in and kissed him again as a reward for his attention which she always loved to be the center of, "Are you ready to go?"

"Are you?" he prompted her as he glanced up and down her body, "You're forgetting a vital piece to your ensemble."

Blair looked at what she was wearing and frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm all ready to go."

"Shoes, Sweetheart," he prompted her as he kissed her lips softly.

Blair looked to her feet, with where only mild difficulty to view, to see that the flats she had intended on wearing were not on her feet. She rolled her eyes at how flighty she was becoming and made her way to their bedroom to slip into the shoes.

"Better?" she inquired as she returned with her shoes on her feet and her handbag in her hand.

"I'd be a little better if your shoes actually matched," he chuckled as he looked to her feet to see she had on two different flats. While they were the same color, one was peep-toed while the other was not.

She groaned in frustration as she turned back towards their bedroom, preparing to waddle back once more. Their bedroom felt like a hundred miles away at the moment. She didn't know how she was going to manage to shop all day as they had planned.

"Let me," he reached out to stop her. He moved much quicker than she did, and he could guarantee that he'd get matching shoes on her feet. "Peep-toes or close toe?"

"Close toe," she sighed gratefully. Chuck looked at her feet quickly to get a closer view of her shoe before he dashed off in search of it's mate.

Chuck returned moments later with the correct shoe in hand as he knelt down to help her slip into the shoe.

"I feel just like Cinderella," Blair chuckled as he slipped the shoe onto her foot. "It's a perfect fit."

"We are a perfect fit," he added as he stood up and kissed her softly.

"Before we start our shopping, can we have lunch first?" Blair inquired as they strolled towards the elevator hand in hand.

"It's not even ten-thirty in the morning yet," he stated in disbelief as he looked at his watch.

"Your child is hungry," she pouted as she rubbed her belly. She knew exactly what to say to him to get him to bend to her every desire.

"Where would you like to go?" he sighed happily. Her eyes instantly lit up as he caved quickly to her wish. She couldn't really have been expecting him to turn her down.

"I'm in the mood for pizza," she announced. Chuck's eyes went wide in surprise. The Blair Waldorf he knew and loved never ate pizza. It was such a common food to eat that she felt was beneath her.

"What kind of pizza?" he chuckled lightly as they stepped into the elevator their fingers still entwined together. His thumb was now rubbing circles over her rings which alwasy drew a smile to his face. How could the reminder that she was his in every way bring about any other emotion. That one bit of knowledge made his entire world feel complete.

"I'm thinking spinach and anchovies and pineapple," she stated happily.

Chuck's jaw dropped in disgust. "I think we're ordering separate pizzas."

"Doesn't that sound yummy?" Blair responded as her eyes twinkled at the order she was concocting in her head before her lips turned into frown at his reaction.

"Listen to yourself, Blair," he replied, trying to hide his amusement, "If you weren't pregnant, would spinach, anchovies, and pineapple sound good together on anything."

"This isn't some weird pregnancy craving," she snapped.

"Just like pickles and ice cream weren't last night," he nodded. He was careful to not show any hint of amusement or sarcasm. His brain was screaming for him to shut up completely, but he couldn't help but try and prove his point. "And ketchup on your waffles wasn't the day before that." The look of disgust on their chef's face as she defiled one after another of his tasty creations night after night was priceless.

"You don't know what you're missing," she huffed.

"Mood swing number one," he mumbled to himself. It was a game he had begun playing with himself whenever they spent the day together since her hormones started to go all out of whack as her pregnancy progressed further. He would count the number of times her mood would shift. His record so far had been twelve, but he had a feeling that record would drop quickly. He could tell she was already in one of those moods.

"What was that?" Blair snapped.

"Nothing," he responded quickly, while mentally cursing himself for saying anything out loud.

Blair's foul mood didn't last any longer than the walk from the elevator of their building to the limo that was waiting for them. She was happily humming as she waited for Chuck to climb in beside her.

* * *

The waitress at the pizza shop that Arthur, their long time driver, had suggested looked at Blair with horror as she ordered her pizza. She had changed her mind about the pineapple and instead wanted chocolate sauce on top. Chuck quickly handed the young woman fifty dollars to stop the lady from gaping at Blair any further for fear another mood swing would ensue. He didn't want the poor woman to have to be a victim to his wife's hormones. He was just becoming used to them himself.

"Where did you want to go first?" Chuck inquired as she dove into her pizza with gusto once it had arrived. The pleasurable sounds she was making as she ate turned his stomach ever so slightly, but he said nothing as he ate his garden variety sausage and mushroom.

"I was thinking Macy's first," she announced as she offered him a bite of her pizza to taste. He politely refused as he took another quick bite of his to settle his stomach, which was turning queasier by the moment. "Then we'll have to go to Bloomingdales, and Saks, and Bergdorfs, and of course all the toy stores like FAO Schwartz. Serena also mentioned that there were a few baby stores off of Fifth Avenue that we should try."

"We may need to spread this shopping adventure out over several days, if you want to hit that many stores. We only have so many hours in the day and our credit card limits are only so high," he teased.

Blair gave him a scowl of disgust. Mood swing number two was starting to build.

"What are you saying?" Blair snapped, "That I plan on maxing out our credit cards with purchases for this child."

"That is exactly what I'm saying," he nodded innocently, "You and I both have expensive tastes. Of course we'll want our child to have the finest of everything."

"Oh," she stated cheerfully as she polished off her pizza.

Chuck coughed to cover up the laugh that threatened to escape. He knew better than to react to her surging hormones. He'd likely set off World War III if he wasn't careful.

* * *

"I think perhaps we have done enough damage to start," Blair announced as they left FAO Schwartz. Chuck was loaded down with so many bags that he had lost count, and two of the sales associates had to follow him out with their arms also loaded. Arthur was chuckling in amusement as he quickly unloaded the bags from his boss's arms before he helped the eager sales associates. He'd already had to make three trips to their penthouse to drop off the purchases they'd already made.

"I have to agree with you," Chuck nodded as he opened the vehicle door for her to slide in. He'd survived six hours of shopping and fifteen mood swings. He wasn't sure which feat was the larger accomplishment, but she was happy with how the day had gone so perhaps that was the feat he should be celebrating.

"I had so much fun today," Blair stated as she leaned against him once he settle in beside her.

"As did I," he assured her as he kissed her forehead. Blair sighed in happiness as she snuggled closer to him. He could tell that she was getting tired by the way she was nudging her head against his shoulder, so he raised his arm around her and allowed her to bury her head into him as she fell asleep instantly. He reached up slowly to lower the glass partition to address their driver. "Arthur, drive around the city for awhile while Blair naps. She's had a busy day, and I don't have the heart to wake her just yet."

Arthur nodded in understanding as Chuck slid the partition back up.

Chuck loved to watch her sleep, especially since she became pregnant. The way her eyes fluttered as she dreamt with the slightest hint of a smile on her face warmed his heart. She didn't have nightmares anymore as she had during the first few years of their relationship. Now she only had happy dreams, mostly about them, but lately they had been about the child that they were having.

She started mumbling, nonsensical things that he couldn't make out, but she had the same smile on her face still so he didn't find reason to worry. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep with her.

"Chuck," Blair mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. Chuck had woken up moments earlier and was trying to figure out how long he had been asleep. "Where are we?"

"Still in the limo," Chuck stated as he brushed the hair away from her eyes, "We both feel asleep."

"I'm hungry," she replied. Chuck groaned internally at the thought of what she could possibly want to eat. He was hoping for something that resembled a normal meal. "Will you call our chef and have him prepare dinner?"

"What would you like?" Chuck inquired as he held his breath.

"I would like beef tenderloin and roasted vegetables," she replied.

"As you wish," he replied as he reached for their car phone after remembering that he had left his phone on their hall table.

"And can he put peanut butter on top?" Blair added hopefully as Chuck called their chef with their dinner order.

Their chef groaned into Chuck's ear as he heard the additional request Blair had made before he promised to do as she asked. Chuck knew better than to vocalize his amusement as he then directed Arthur back to their building.

**TBC. . .**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"That's it, I give up," Blair announced as she waddled into the penthouse eight months pregnant.

Chuck was there to greet her the moment she stepped off the elevator with his usual hug. She dropped her bag onto the hall table as she shrugged off his attempt of affection yet again. Blair didn't see the frown of disappointment that crossed his face as it had for the past two weeks that she had shied away from his touch. She probably wouldn't have cared if she had witness it. She felt awkward and uncomfortable all the time. People continually came up to her all day asking if they could touch her stomach. She wanted this child out so much that she could scream.

"How was your day?" Chuck inquired as he followed her into their bedroom where her bath was waiting for her as it had been every day since she first told him she was pregnant. It had seemed silly to bath each evening in the beginning, but now she looked forward to it, for it was the only time that she felt as if she could relax at all.

"I'm not going back until this kid pops," she announced as he began helping her undress. This too was a ritual that had seemed silly when he first started, but had become a necessity as she struggled with even the simplest of tasks like putting on panties, "All I do is go back and forth between my office and the bathroom. Along the way people all throughout the loft keep asking to rub my stomach as if it's going to bring them good luck or something equally stupid."

"If you're ready to start your maternity leave, you know I will support you," he replied without the slightest hint of sarcasm or amusement in his voice. After five months of crazy hormone shifts, he knew better.

"Do you think I'm fat?" she inquired as he helped her into the tub.

"No," he scoffed. His answer was instantenous and sincere. "You're pregnant, and you look beautiful."

"You're lying," she growled as she sunk into the water, sighing in relief as the water began to relax her and alleviate some of the extra weight she was carrying.

"I would never lie to you about something like this," he assured her as he kissed her forehead gently.

"Then why haven't we made love in three weeks?" she snapped.

"Because you have been refusing my advances," he reminded her as he took her hand in his and kissed the inside gently. Her fingers were swollen from the extra water weight and her left ring finger looked painfully constricted as it curled up around her wedding band. He had gotten her to take off her engagement ring the month prior, but as of yet had hadn't found a way to get her wedding band off. He hoped tonight he had found the perfect compromise. "If you are in the mood, my darling, all you have to do is tell me and I'll happily show you how beautiful I think you are."

"Maybe later," she shrugged in a noncommittal way that told him she really wasn't interested.

"I have a present for you," Chuck stated as he reached for a box on her vanity that was within reach from his perch next to bathtub.

"It better not be stupid maternity lingerie again," she growled. He had come home with something like that a month earlier. She had not been impressed. In fact, she had exploded in a rage that he had never seen before. He quickly discarded it and made a mental note to never be that foolish ever again.

"This present I believe you will enjoy," he tried to assure her as he internally held his breath as he wasn't so sure.

"Give," she demanded as she held out her hand expectantly.

He placed the Tiffany's jewelry box in her hand. She looked a little impressed by the box as she always did when she received a gift from her favorite jewelry store. She lifted the lid to see a simple platinum chain laying in the box. She did not look impressed this time. He gulped nervously as he took the necklace out of the box and held it for her to view.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" she hissed as she glared at him devilishly.

"This is for your wedding band," he explained as he kissed her ringed finger softly, "I know how reluctant you are to go without the ring even while pregnant, so this seemed like the logical solution."

"It's because my fingers are swelling up like balloons, isn't it," she snapped as she stared at the hand that he was holding as tears built in her eyes.

"You are starting to retain a little water, yes," he stated very matter of fact. He was treading lightly as he knew that he could easily open up a mind field of emotions. "But Sweetheart, you're pregnant. We knew to expect this."

"You think I'm fat," she stated as she began crying as she buried her head in her hands.

"Look at me, Blair," he commanded as he lifted her gaze to meet his, "Do my eyes show any hint of repulsion? Do they not show the passion and lust that I feel in knowing that beneath this delicate layer of scented bubbles lays my very naked and beautiful wife? You are the most beautiful and sexy woman I have or ever will meet. I love you so much . . . every last inch of you."

"Chuck," she sighed in content as he leaned in and captured her lips, "This must be so awful for you. My emotions are all over the place. I feel and look like a blimp. I'm uncomfortable. The last thing on most days that I want is to be touched, even by you, but when you say things like that I want you to jump into this tub with me and have your way with me."

"Is that an invitation?" he smirked devilishly.

She splashed water at him in response.

"Just checking," he laughed merrily, "And for the record, I don't believe that this experience is awful. Whatever I need to do to make you comfortable, I am willing to do because you are giving me the greatest gift you could ever give me. You are giving me our child."

"You always know the right things to say to make me want to make love to you," she sighed in content as she laid her head back against the porcelain tub while closing her eyes.

"Does that mean you'll wear this necklace and allow me to take that ring off your finger?" he inquired. He was pressing his luck and he knew it, but he had to try. He was the only one that she would allow to slide the ring from her finger. She never even took her rings off herself. He was the one that had slid them on, she rationalized, so he was the only one that was allowed to take them off.

She nodded in agreement as she slipped her hand into the water to allow it to soak, hoping that it would shrink her finger so that he could pry the ring from her hand.

"Baby, we're going to need ice water again," he reminded her. It had been the only way they could get her engagement ring off a month earlier. Blair instantly stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. He bent forward and began raining kissing along her forehead and down her jaw line to her chin and then back up as a way to entice her.

"Go get the ice," she sighed as she opened her eyes to see him looking at her intently.

He nodded as he disappeared briefly. When he returned he had in his hands a small basin of water filled with ice. Blair moved to get out of the tub, but Chuck stopped her.

"Stay," he urged her, "Perhaps this won't be as much of a shock to your system if you sit in the warm water. The last time we did this your teeth were chattering for several hours afterwards as we laid in bed trying to warm you."

She nodded as she allowed him to slip her hand into the bowl. She recoiled the moment that her hand hit the frigid water, but she forced herself to submerge her hand again. She didn't have to look to know that Chuck wincing right along with her as she tried to keep her hand in the water. They were so in tune with each other's thoughts, emotions, and feelings that she was sure he felt her pain as acutely as she did. Chuck began moving the ring around her finger as the swelling had obviously reduced. Finally after about twenty seconds, the ring came free, and Chuck quickly submerged her hand in the warm bath water.

Blair almost jumped out of her skin at the new sensation as her eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm sorry," Chuck responded quickly as he yanked her hand out of the water.

"Don't ever do that again," she gasped as she looked at him to see the terror in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he responded as he placed her hand between his two larger ones and began rubbing vigorously as he tried to warm her. She felt as if needles were being stuck into her skin but the sensation diminished quickly as her hand warmed up due to the friction he was creating.

"I'm better now," she assured him as she pulled her hand away slowly and slipped it into the water.

"Here is your ring," Chuck stated as he quickly slid the platinum band onto the chain and then slipped it around her neck. She smiled at him brightly as she fingered the ring, reading the inscription that was inside. She had only read it one other time, on their wedding night when Chuck first showed it to her.

"Thank you," she responded as she reached out for his hand. He took hers eagerly and kissed it lightly. "Will you join me?"

"Are you sure?" he inquired. It had been awhile since they'd been intimate, and he saw in her eyes what she was really asking for, him making love to her as only he knew how.

"Yes," she nodded as her eyes began to cloud over. He knew and loved that look, but he was hesitant. From everything he had read, making love seemed to be frowned upon this late into her pregnancy as it tended to send the expectant mother into labor.

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea," he stated hesitantly.

"Just touch me then," she insisted as she shifted in the tub, "I need something."

His hand slipped into the water and closed around one of her breasts. Her back arched reflexively as a guttural groan escaped from deep within her.

"Not enough," she moaned as his hand slid to her belly.

"Blair, I don't want to risk sending you into labor," he stated as her hand closed around his.

"I know," she sighed as she slid his hand lower to her womanly folds. His fingers slid in with practiced ease. Her eyes widened with surprise at how strong a sensation he was creating as he caressed her lovingly. "Chuck!" she purred as her head fell back against the porcelain.

"Is this what you had in mind?" he whispered in her ear seductively.

"God, yes," she groaned as her eyes flew open as his tongue began caressing the shell of her ear. She quickly turned her head so that she could devour his lips.

She felt him hum into her mouth as he relished her uniquely exquisite taste. She had denied him that for far too long. While he claimed to be understanding about what she was going through, his body still screamed out daily with his need for her. His attempts to relieve that yearning had done little to satisfy himself. He hadn't taken matters into his own hands for so long that he was surprised he had even known how. As he felt her climax hit, his own did as well, embarrassingly in his dress pants. He'd have to do some smooth maneuvering to get her to not notice when she left the tub.

"Thank you," Blair sighed in relief as she pulled him to her by his shirt collar so she could kiss him properly.

"It seems silly for you to thank me," he chuckled as he lowered himself back onto his usual perch, "You know I enjoy our intimate time as much as you do, even when I'm not the one receiving the pleasure."

"This must be agony for you," she began to tear up, "We go from having sex multiple times a day to having none in a blink of an eye. I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he commanded her.

"I could help you," she offered as she reached her hand out to caress his chin before it began to slide lower to his neck and then to his shoulders.

"I'm okay," he assured her before he intercepted her hand as it traveled further south down his body.

"You don't want me touching you," she snarled as she jerked her hand away quickly, "I knew it. I am repulsive to you."

Chuck snatched her hand quickly and lowered it to his groin to show her the damp reason he hadn't want her to touch him. "I didn't want you to touch me for fear you'd find out how turned on I was that just touching you sent me over the edge. I'm Chuck Bass, for christ's sake. I used to have a reputation."

Her hand caressed the dampness as a smile began to form at the corners of her lips.

"Happy now," he growled with the blushed mortification that he felt at his lack of control. Even as he said it, he felt his anger dissipated as she continued to stroke his lap. He raised a curious eyebrow to her, "Blair, what are you doing?"

"Returning the favor," she stated with a mischievous smile.

"You don't need to," he assured her as his hand covered hers stilling her motions, "That encounter should hold me for awhile."

"Relax," she whispered as she leaned over the tub to kiss him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth as her hand continued to caress him as he began to respond to her touch. He moaned in approval. "Let's move this to the bed," she suggested.

Chuck nodded as he helped her rise from the tub, drying her off quickly, before she began pushing him forcefully to their bed.

"Take your clothes off," she commanded as she backed him to the edge of the bed.

Chuck moved quickly in fear that her ever changing mood could shift at any moment and leave him high and dry. His clothes were tossed in several directions with his haste. He saw her bite back a snicker of amusement as she shoved him unceremoniously onto their bed as her hand closed around his hard member. He hissed in pleasure as she joined him on the bed, her naked body pressing against his as much as she could with her protruding belly getting in the way. His hand closed around her much smaller one as he began to guide her pace. She hadn't been quick enough for him she concluded as his eyes closed. She could tell by his moaning that he was so close. It had been so long for him to receive any attention from her. He released her hand once he was sure that she understood the desperateness of his need. His hands gripped the comforter beneath him as he tried to fight off his orgasm for as long as possible.

"Let go," she whispered against his ear lobe. He turned to look deep into her eyes. He bent over to capture her lips with his just as he lost control, his moan swallowed by her eager mouth invading him again.

"God, Blair," he gasped as he finally broke away from her kiss. He was panting for breath as his head fell back against the pillows. His eyelids became heavy as he waged an internal war to stay awake.

"Feel better," she grinned victoriously as his eyes slid closed as his hand found her pregnant belly and rubbed it rhythmically as his head nodded slightly as he fell asleep. She snuggled in closer to him as she began to drift off to sleep.

Her eyes opened just as suddenly as she began to feel an intense pressure she had never felt before.

"CHUCK!" she exclaimed as she grabbed at his hand still resting comfortably on her stomach. His eyes opened wide with panic as the worry in her voice registered.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he sat up quickly.

"I don't know," she responded as she tried to place what she was currently feeling. It slowly dawned on her what could possibly be wrong. "I think I might be in labor."

Chuck's eyes went wide in terror as her words repeated in his head. He'd been trying to mentally prepare himself for this day since she first told him she was pregnant, but the panic in his eyes was evident as he leapt from the bed, running to his closet to put on whatever he could find while finding her a change of clothes at the same time.

"We need to get you to the hospital," he stated in panic as he threw clothes at her while he began frantically searching for his phone to call for Arthur and then Serena.

"Calm down," she instructed him calmly, "Even if I am in labor, we have time."

She was just as panicked as he was, but she knew she couldn't show it. That would give him license to be even more panicked and he was practically hyperventilating as he ran in circles around their bedroom as he tried to determine what to do first.

"Chuck," she called out to him in scolding as he very nearly passed out. "Come lay down on the bed and take several deep breaths."

He shook his head to refuse her before he slumped to the floor as he did indeed pass out.

**TBC. . .**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Where am I?" Chuck moaned as he looked around the unfamiliar room. Blair was looking into his eyes intensely as she caressed his face. Worry poured out of every pour of her skin.

"The hospital," she stated as she leaned over carefully and kissed his lips softly.

"You're in labor!" he exclaimed as his eyes went wide as he remembered what had sent him into a panic.

"No, I'm not," she admitted sheepishly, "It was just gas."

"Why am I here?" Chuck inquired as he looked around the room as he sat up taking in all of the medical equipment that surrounded him and the heart monitor that he found himself attached to. This seemed overkill, even for his overprotective wife.

"Arthur and I couldn't get you to wake up," Blair stated as she pushed him back down to the bed. "I threw cold water on you, slapped you silly . . . Arthur even managed to find your smelling salts, but nothing worked. We brought you here for fear that you'd suffered a concussion or something on your fall to the floor. Turns out, you were just exhausted." Blair slapped his shoulder hard as she finished with her explanation.

"What was that for?" Chuck snapped as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Eugenia told me that you've been running yourself ragged at the office since the day I told you I was pregnant. She was surprised you lasted this long," she barked as she slapped him again, "What the hell have you been thinking! Cramming twelve hours into eight and skipping meals. Chuck, I want us raising this child together, which you cannot do from the grave." She threw in another slap for good measure.

"Stop hitting me, wife," he scowled.

"Don't call me wife," she hissed as she slapped him yet again.

"Blair, I'm warning you," he cautioned her as he caught her wrists in his hands.

"And I'm warning you," Blair interrupted him as she loosened his grip on her wrists before she pointed a finger in his face, "If you pull something like that again, I'll take this child and head for the hills. I don't want you setting that kind of example for our child. You are not Bart, and don't you dare start acting like it now."

"You'll never get that far," he warned her, "I still have that P.I. on speed dial, and I'll use him if you even try to leave."

"I dare you," she scowled at him. Both their threats were empty. They both knew that, but each needed to make their point.

"What are we arguing about?" Chuck asked as his nose scrunched up in sudden confusion, "Me turning into Bart? Or me working myself to exhaustion?"

"Both," she chuckled at the adorable look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he sighed as he took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "You're right. I was pushing myself. I just wanted to make sure that I was there for you as much as possible. I knew you'd never let me invade your work space, but I wanted to be sure that I could be there for you whenever you were home. I just want to do this right."

"Chuck Bass, you sound so ridiculous right now," she sighed as she rested her head against his chest. The increase of the heart monitor beeping that he was attached to brought a smile to her lips. "You have been the most wonderful husband to me these last eight months. Even if you hadn't greeted me at the elevator each night when I returned from work or walked me to my loft each morning, we still would be doing this right."

"We're not doing everything right," he frowned, "I'm missing the doctors' appointments and Lamaze classes."

"And we've talked about this," she sighed as her fingers began to walk up his chest slowly, "I understand your reasons."

"You must think I'm being a coward," Chuck responded in disgust as he ran his fingers through her brunette curls. "Gossip Girl was right with her description at our high school graduation."

"Don't ever talk about my husband in that way ever again," she stated as she slapped him lightly again as she stood upright.

"I feel like a coward," he admitted as he looked into her eyes. She saw the anger and pain all directed towards himself.

"You can't help how you feel, Chuck," Blair sighed, "You have blamed yourself for your mother's death for twenty-four years. I don't expect that to suddenly go away because I'm pregnant. I see how hard this is for you. I also see how hard you are trying. Do I want you to be at the doctors' appointments and the Lamaze classes? I'm not going to lie . . . yes I do. You are doing all that you can . . . catering to all my crazy food cravings, putting up with my ever changing mood swings, satisfying all my desires and needs for you. And I feel so guilty for that right now. The countless times we've made love since I became pregnant . . . the lunch hours we stole away to be together . . . all of that contributed to putting you here."

"I wasn't complaining," he insisted, chuckling at the ridiculousness of her thinking that their love making had anything to do with his current situation, "I'll happily make love to you at any time, in any place that you choose."

She rolled her eyes and reached out to smack him again but he quickly stopped her hand before it could make contact.

"Stop hitting me, Mrs. Bass, or security might come in and remove you for beating a patient," he smirked devilishly. His wicked sense of humor was out in full force.

"Promise me from here on out that you'll take care of yourself. No more crazy work days," she demanded, "You'll start putting yourself first a little more often."

"I'm not going to promise that," he rolled his eyes. She knew better than to expect that of him. He hadn't put himself firstfor so many years. "But I will promise to slow down."

"Good," she stated with a hesitant smirk, "Because this is supposed to be one of the happiest times of our lives. I won't have you putting yourself into the ground over it."

"I'll behave," he assured her.

"Yes, you will," she nodded as she leaned in and kissed him, "I have Eugenia's assurance on that."

"Is she here?" Chuck inquired curiously.

"Right outside," Blair nodded, "I called her as soon as the doctor determined that it would be wise to admit you overnight for observation."

"Get that doctor in here right now," he demanded as his cheeks began to flush in anger, "I will not have my pregnant wife having to spend the night in the hospital on my account."

"You're so possessive of me right now," she giggled as she tried to make light of his demand.

"I'm always possessive of you," he corrected her as his anger melted away instantly, "And I'll be equally possessive of this child . . . Will you please go get the doctor? I really do not want to spend the night."

"I'll go see if I can track him down," Blair sighed as she leaned in and kissed him.

"And on your way to find the doctor can you send Eugenia in," he requested as her lips lingered against his longer than was necessary, "I'd like to speak with her."

"Be nice to her," Blair warned him, "I threatened her enough for both of us this evening." She then spun slowly, her hair fanning out with her dramatic turn as she waddled towards the door. Chuck couldn't help the smirk that escaped as he watched her walk away. She was so cute doing her pregnancy shuffle.

"You wanted to see me, Mister Bass," Eugenia stated as she nervously stuck her head into her boss's hospital room.

"Come in here, please," Chuck nodded as he sat up slightly. He hid his chuckle as he watched her step in cautiously. He knew it would not be wise to mess with his assistant. She was really beating herself up for him being in his current bed.

Eugenia crossed the floor slowly before she took a seat in the chair next to his bed.

"I can't believe you sold me out," Chuck laughed out.

"I'm sorry," Eugenia responded sincerely. His laughter threw her. She had expected him to be extremely angry at her. "Mrs. Bass threatened me with all sorts of things if I didn't confess."

"She didn't know anything," he continued laughing, "If you had kept quiet, you know I would have stuck up for you and undone anything that she tried to do."

"She's really dangerous when she's pregnant," Eugenia stated as she became very flustered by the memories of what had happened in the waiting room as they waited for the doctor to update them on Chuck's condition. Blair had been yelling at everyone from the nurses to the other family members unfortunate enough to be sharing the same waiting area. "She had me all confused, and then I was admitting what has been going on at the office before I could stop the words from flowing out of my mouth."

"That's my wife," he stated proudly, "She'll have you confessing to secrets you didn't even know you were keeping."

"So you aren't angry with me?" Eugenia sighed in relief.

"No," he confirmed as he chuckled once more, "I can't fault you for falling victim to Blair's schemes when I still fall for them myself on occasion."

"I've never been on this end of one of her schemes before," Eugenia admitted with a dramatic sigh, "I don't like it."

"I'll be sure to pass along the message," he continued to laugh, "And make sure that she knows that from now on she needs to direct her schemes in my direction. I don't mind being her victim. It always works out so well for me."

"I'll take care of everything at the office until you're up to returning to work," Eugenia assured him.

"I'll be back in a few days," Chuck responded quickly, "We still have a lot of work to do before I take my paternity leave."

"How excited are you to become a father?" she inquired. She never talked with her boss about the new addition that was being added to his family in just a few short weeks. He had been all business for so many months at the office that the hadn't really even had their usual friendly banter. She figured now was as good of a time as any to ask.

"Excited doesn't even come close to describing what I am feeling," Chuck smiled broadly. "I'm sure Cedric felt the same way when your sons were born."

"When our first son was born, Cedric passed out in the delivery room. He hit his head on something on the way down and split his head open. He had to be carried out of the room by two of the nurses. Eighteen stitches and a new pair of scrubs later, he returned and held our son for the first time. That was almost three hours later," she recalled, her eyes twinkling with the amusement the memory brought her, "And if he knows that I told you that story, he will never forgive me. Nobody, not even our family, knows what happened."

"How did he explain the stitches?" Chuck snickered as he tried to contain his laughter.

"He says that he was injured after our son was born and that he was there for the entire delivery," Eugenia smirked.

"How did you and Cedric decide on naming the boys?" he inquired curiously. He and Blair had talked briefly about naming their child but had yet to throw out anything beyond the ridiculous names that celebrities seemed to be choosing. They were both in agreement that they wanted to stick with something somewhat traditional yet unique.

"For the first child, we flipped a coin. Cedric won the toss and got to choose Justin. It was the name of his best friend growing up. When I became pregnant with Eddie, I insisted that it was my turn. My favorite professor in college was named Ramsey Edwards," she explained.

"Blair and I need to start coming to some sort of decision. We certainly don't want our child going through life with the name of Baby Girl or Baby Boy Bass," he chuckled as he rubbed his eyes as he felt himself starting to become tired once more.

"No, you definitely don't want that," Eugenia stated as she studied his face and saw the exhaustion returning, "I should let you get some rest. Do us both a favor and don't wear yourself out like that again. You scared your wife to death, and in turn she decided to frighten everyone else."

"I'll try," he laughed lightly as he leaned back and rested his head against the pillows as Eugenia left his room. He concluded that he could rest until Blair rustled up the doctor. That was the last thing he remembered until he woke up the next morning with Blair sleeping soundly at his side. She must have climbed in bed with him sometime during the night.

* * *

"Welcome home," Blair stated as she and Chuck walked into their home after their sleepover at the hospital.

Chuck didn't waste a moment in directing her to their bedroom so that she could lay down in their bed. She had confessed during their limo ride home that she hadn't slept well the previous evening and he insisted that she lay down.

"You have to lay with me," she demanded as she held on tight to his hand when he tried to pull away.

"I have some work to do," he insisted as he tried to pry his hand away.

"You heard the doctor," she reminded him as she held tight, "He said no work for at least two days."

"He doesn't run a multi-billion dollar empire with hundreds of thousands of people depending on him for their livelihood," Chuck rolled his eyes.

"The empire is not going to crumble if you take two days off," she replied as she did an eye roll of her own, "Your company is so much stronger than that."

"I'm going to be taking a month off in just a few weeks, and I have a lot that needs to be done before then," he insisted.

"Take a nap next to me, or I call Lily," she warned him. His stepmother had been absolutely livid with him when she came to the hospital that morning. She and Rufus had been caught the first flight from Prague that morning after receiving the call from Serena that Chuck was in the hospital. Lily was down right angry at him. She threatened to use her influence with the board to get him removed from his position if didn't start taking care of himself.

"Blair," he groaned with the disapproval he felt having realized that he was losing the argument.

"Nap now, Chief Executive Officer, or lose your throne," she warned him.

"You know that the board would never vote me out," he chuckled as he climbed onto the bed and began to settle in next to her.

"You aren't so sure of that or otherwise you'd call my bluff," she grinned as he molded his body against hers. At least one good thing had come out of his trip to the hospital the previous evening. She didn't recoil when he touched her anymore as she had during the past few weeks.

"We need to start seriously discussing baby names," he spoke softly as he caressed her stomach, "Our child is going to be here soon."

"Let's start with girl names," she smiled. Chuck had begun to notice that she was always referring to their child as a she lately as if she knew it was a girl. Chuck had accused her of asking the doctor, but she assured him rather convincingly, to which Serena backed up, that she didn't know and that it was just a feeling she had. "If it's a girl, I don't want her named after any of your conquests."

"Do you think that I even knew any of their names?" he chuckled, "Baby, I'm flattered that you think I cared that much."

"Perhaps we should start by each making a list, see if our creative minds stumble across any of the same names," she suggested as she ignored his comment. She hadn't been surprised by his response. The playboy in him would have behaved that way.

"You can always pull out that list you made when you were younger," he teased.

"What list?" she asked as the confusion hit her.

"The one in your life plan scrapbook you kept when you are younger," he explained, "You've done just about everything in there that you wrote down . . . prom . . . the marriage to a successful and wealthy businessman . . . you're welcome for the first two, and of course we're on the first of two children that you planned on having. Don't tell me you didn't make a list of their names."

"You are such a Basshole!" she exclaimed as she slapped his shoulder, "And you know very well that I haven't looked at that stupid thing since high school. How do you even know about that book?"

"Are you kidding?" he laughed out, "You forget who you married."

"You're Chuck Bass, yes we've established that numerous times in all of our years together," she rolled her eyes.

"And you love that I'm Chuck Bass," he pointed out.

"I'm in love with Chuck Bass," she corrected him before adding empathetically, "There is a huge difference. You could be John Smith, and I would still love you as much I do."

"Come on, admit it," he requested. He knew she wanted him to let this go, but he was too intent on teasing her now. "You get a thrill out of introducing yourself to strangers as Mrs. Chuck Bass. You love to see the wide eyed stunned look that they give you. You love that they see that you managed to tame the once wild international playboy."

Blair was determined to hold her ground and didn't dignify his comments with a response other than to glare menacingly at him.

Chuck recognized her game and stared her down. Thanks to her, he had all day to wait for her admission.

"Okay, fine," she finally conceded after several painful minutes of complete silence, "I like introducing myself as Blair Waldorf-Bass. Yes, I'll even forget the Waldorf part every now and then just to get an even bigger reaction."

He laughed with the vindication he felt at being right as she slid out of bed.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, pregnant wife of mine," he exclaimed as he followed her off the bed.

"Relax, I'm just going to get some paper and a pen so that we can start our lists," she explained.

"Oh, no, you don't. You need to your rest. You just finished telling me in the limo how tired you are," he growled as he caught her arm and guided her back to their bed, "Get back in that bed right now. I'll get the pen and paper."

"No you won't," she growled back as she slid in bed and held him from leaving, "You're under doctor's orders to take it easy, so lay back down."

"One of us needs to get that pen and paper if we are to make those lists," he pointed out as he slid in next to her, "If we're both on bed rest that makes this difficult."

"Technically, you're the one putting me on bed rest because I told you I was tired. I'm only on bed rest until I'm no longer tired which will be after a few hours of napping," she replied, "We can make our lists then."

"I love you, Blair Bass," he proclaimed as he slid closer to her as they settled in for a nap they both desperately needed.

"I love you," she yawned as she drifted off to sleep.

A piece of hair fell onto her face inhibiting his view of her face, so he quickly reached out to brush it away. He found his finger twirling the lock around as he marveled at the silky texture. He was still twirling the strand as he fell to sleep next to her.

**TBC. . .**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"What are you going to do today?" Chuck inquired as he adjusted his tie as he got himself ready for work. It had been two weeks since his brief stint in the hospital. He had reluctantly followed doctor's orders and stayed home for the two days that was required mostly because Blair wouldn't let him out of the penthouse even if Eugenia hadn't refused to have the limo sent to pick him up.

"I plan on eating a lot of spicy foods," Blair replied as she tried to give him an innocent look while failing miserably. He glared at her in response, but he understood what she was telling him. She had had enough of being pregnant. She was tired of being uncomfortable, of having to go to the bathroom at all hours of the day and night, of not being able to dress herself each morning without looking like a complete idiot while doing it, and of not being able to see her feet. She had given up on wearing shoes unless Chuck slipped them on her feet himself as she never had a matching pair otherwise.

"If you need anything, I'm a phone call away," he assured her.

"I know," she replied as she reached out and straightened his tie for him that was just slightly crooked.

"If you feel the need to do any more nesting, please try and stay out of my office. It took me two hours to put my office back to the way it was, and you shouldn't be lifting heavy furniture," he cautioned her. He had come home the previous evening to see that his entire office had been rearranged in accordance with principles of feng shui.

"I didn't," she responded innocently as she batted her eyelashes, "I called the doorman up to do it for me."

"That's my girl," he smirked as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"And I resent the implications that I'm nesting," she sighed, "I'm just tired of living in a pig sty."

"Blair, we have a maid that cleans up after us on a daily basis, and we're hardly barnyard animals," he chuckled as he took her hands in his and kissed each one softly, "Face it, Sweetheart, you have moved on to the final stage of your pregnancy."

"If it means this child finally decides to make his or her appearance in the very near future, then fine I'm nesting," she conceded with a roll of her eyes.

"Have you narrowed down your name list yet?" he inquired as he slid into his suit jacket.

"Have you narrowed down yours?" she challenged him as she reached out to smooth out the creases of his jacket.

"I've glanced at a few names," he smirked. In truth, since he and Blair had made their agreement that she could name their child if it was a girl and he could if it was a boy, he had spent all of his free time combing through a baby book that he had Eugenia pick up for him.

"I'm sure," she grinned. She was well aware of the baby book that he kept in his office at Bass Industries.

"Eight and a half months," he remarked as he rubbed her stomach, "How does it feel?"

"You don't want me answering that question," she assured him as she played with the lapels of his suit jacket, "And if you know what is good for you, you won't ask that ever again."

"One last curious questions, and then I have to go to work," he remarked as he kiss her gently, "Is this one child it for us?"

"It's too early to tell," she stated after a moment of thought as she caressed her stomach, "Ask me again when we hold our child in our arms for the first time."

"I have to be going to work," Chuck groaned as he caught sight of the clock on the bedside nightstand. His voice was full of hesitation. He didn't want to leave her any more than she wanted him to go.

"Go," she nudged him with her belly, "I have plenty to keep me busy until you get home this evening."

"Stay out of my office," he warned her yet again.

"Have a good day," she stated sweetly while avoiding anything that sounded like a promise to do what he asked. While he hadn't appreciated her attempt to bring harmony into his workspace, there was still much that she could do.

"I love you," he proclaimed as he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. She hummed against his lips before she deepened their kiss.

"I have to go," he stated yet again as he pulled away momentarily before his lips crashed against her once again.

"Stay," she requested as she pulled away only to speak, her lips brushed against his as the words left her mouth, "Start your paternity leave early. You're the CEO. You can do whatever you want."

"I wish that was true," he groaned as he pulled away before he was tempted to find a way to make her suggestion a reality, "And I still have a lot of preparations to take care of before I go out on leave."

"You had better hurry up," she smirked playfully, "I'm not holding this kid in so that you can tie up any possible loose ends at the office."

"I wouldn't ask you to," he chuckled as he ran his hands through her hair, her curls sifting through his fingers as the strands fell back to her shoulder. Her hair was one of the few things that she spent time on as she got ready each day now that she was staying home. She didn't put on a stitch of makeup, which Chuck didn't think she needed anyways, and she was content to spend each day in one of the many pairs of baggy sweatpants that he had purchased for her a few weeks earlier as she refused to wear her maternity clothes any longer. "I'll be ready whenever you and this child is."

"Go," she encouraged him as she nudged her stomach against him once again, "I'll call you if I need anything."

"Even if it's some insane craving," he requested as he took a step back to remove any possible temptation to stay. He was playing with fire as it was. He knew it wouldn't take much for him to work from home for the rest of her pregnancy. He also knew if he did that, he would drive Blair insane by checking on her every five minutes. The evenings were bad enough. "You know how much those amuse me."

She tapped his shoulder playfully as she waddled along side of him as he made his way to the elevator, her hand entwined with his. He allowed her to set the pace as she had slowed down with each month that passed of her pregnancy. He paused at the hall table to pocket his cell phone and money clip before he picked up his briefcase and stepped towards the elevator. Blair reached out and pushed the call button as Chuck came behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"I miss you not being able to get your arms all the way around my waist," Blair sighed as she looked at his hands that were barely able to join together at the top of her stomach.

"Soon," he assured her as he brushed aside her hair so he could kiss the nape of her neck. A soft moan escaped from Blair's lips.

"I miss making love to you," she whispered as his lips continued their gentle assault of her neck.

"I miss that too," he mumbled against her skin, "But this isn't forever. We only have a few more months."

"And we'll be back to our love making ways," she smirked.

"Which is as often as possible," he grinned as the elevator chiming its arrival.

"Have a good day," she replied as she spun to kiss him goodbye.

"I'll be home soon," he spoke against her lips, "If you need anything, call me immediately. If you feel the slightest twinge . . ."

"I'll call you," she assured him as she kissed him once more before she nudged him into the elevator.

"I love you," he responded.

"And I love you," she replied immediately as the doors closed. She caressed her stomach and spoke to their child, "Daddy is a little overprotective. You'll get used to it. I promise." She sighed as she turned around and looked at their home as she tried to decide what she wanted to do first. She immediately determined that she needed to tackle his office yet again.

As she stepped into his office her eyes focused on a manila folder on his desk. She walked as quickly as she could to his desk as she picked up the phone on his desk to call his cell phone to let him know he forgot a file, but a look at the tab label had her frozen before she could dial the first number . . . Evelyn Bass.

* * *

"Blair, Baby, I'm home," Chuck called out as he returned to their home later that evening. He only heard silence. It was an unusual sound. Usually she would call out to him and let him know where in their home she was, but tonight it was eerily quiet. "Blair?" he called out for her again as he began searching for her in each room. He could feel his heart begin to accelerate as the panic began to set in.

Blair was waiting patiently for him in his office, sitting at his desk as she stared at the file she had flipped through earlier that day while tapping her fingernail against the desk in irritation.

"There you are," Chuck sighed in relief as he stepped into his office. He went to kiss her forehead, but the scowl on her face told him to keep his distance. His eyes narrowed in on folder that he had accidentally left out the previous evening.

"Care to explain this?" she spoke out icily as her eyes gestured towards the folder.

He opened his mouth to explain what she was referencing, but no words would come.

"Chuck," she prompted him in the hopes to break him from his trance as she watched the tears build in his eyes.

"I needed to know," he whispered as his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor at her feet. He crawled towards her and rested his head on her lap, "I need to know how I killed my mother."

Blair could feel the panic begin to build as she watched Chuck fall. She wanted to go to him, but her pregnant body refused to move. "Chuck," she gasped as she began working her fingers through his hair in an attempt to comfort him, "You didn't kill your mother. This file proves that."

"She never should have had me," he shook his head as his tears began to spill, "She went against doctors' orders and got pregnant with me. She knew having me could end her life. She gambled and lost."

"There was a risk that she was willing to take because she wanted you so much," Blair explained as she lifted his head to look into his eyes, "I understand where she is coming from. She knew how amazing you would turn out . . .Why didn't you tell me you were looking into this? You had to have known that I would understand."

"I didn't want to put that negativity into your head," he explained as tears continued to fall, "It's been bad enough to have it into mine."

"You and I are a team, Chuck," she reminded him as she began to brush her own tears away, "From the day we finally put aside all of our games and told each other how we felt, we have been a team. If you're having anxiety about this, I need to know. I can't help you if you won't talk to me."

"How can you help me?" he sniffled, "My mother died giving birth to me. Nothing you do can change that." He cried quietly for a few moments as Blair tried to find the right words to comfort him.

"I'm going to be okay," she whispered softly as he rested his head against her stomach. He could feel the gentle kicks of their child against his cheek. Even with all of the pain and anger he currently felt, the sensation brought a faint smile to his face.

"You have no idea how much I want to believe that," he sighed as he kissed her stomach softly.

"Did you read this?" she inquired as she motioned towards the folder once more. She earned a glare in response. "Did you really read this," she insisted as she held up the folder in front of his face, "Did you compare your mother's pregnancy to mine? Do you see how much smoother my pregnancy has gone? There have been no complications unlike with your mother. I was given a clean bill of health before I got pregnant. I'm not on bed rest. After the initial wave of morning sickness, I haven't had any negative symptoms, and the morning sickness ended before you even knew I was pregnant. That was the reason I hesitated for so long in telling you."

"I can't live without you," he proclaimed as he leaned in and captured her lips for a desperate kiss, "I'll turn into Bart if I lose you."

"You wouldn't," she assured him as she reached for his hand and threaded hers into it as she shook her head, "If something ever happened to me, you would never let yourself turn into him. What is just as important is that we have so many people around us that would never allow you to do that . . . Serena, Nate, Lily, Eric . . . the list goes on. You would give our child all of the love and attention that they need."

"I won't know what to do without you," he sobbed. He began to shake as his fears took over. "You have taught me all the important life lessons like how to truly trust people, how to feel my emotions without being ashamed of them, how to be happy, how to be in love, how to live life . . . I won't know how to be a father without you."

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him as she bent forward as much as she could and kissed the top of his head, "We'll figure this parenting thing out together."

He nodded against her stomach, which he heard begin to rumble.

"You're hungry, let's have dinner," he stated as he pushed the tears out of his eyes and stood up.

"I can wait," she assured him as he pulled her to her feet, "I want you to tell me all of the fears and doubts that you're having."

"You've heard them all," he replied as he kissed her forehead as he brought her arms around his shoulders and pulled her in close.

"Promise," she requested. She knew that by making him promise that he would air any additional doubts that he was having. He'd never promise if he hadn't aired them all because that would be a lie, and he never lied to her.

"I promise," he nodded as she rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

* * *

"What do you say to our child during your private time?" she inquired as they both lay in the bathtub that evening after they had finished dinner. She had managed to convince him to join her that evening with very little effort. She could see that his mind was still preoccupied from their discussion before dinner. She hoped that a soothing bath would take his mind off of the dark thoughts that still appeared to be floating through his head.

"Don't you listen?" he inquired as he ran the loofah across her skin as her head fell back against his chest.

"That's your time with our child. I would never invade that," she gasped when the sponge ran along one of her sensitive nipples.

"I start by telling him or her how much I love them and their beautiful mother, and how I can't wait to hold them for the first time. I promise that they will have everything that they could ever want. I tell them to be good to you and to not make you too uncomfortable. I tell them stories, both from the fairytales that I read you and real stories about our life together. Of course, I lay down the rules as to what it means to be a Bass," he explained, "Mostly, I just want our child to get used to my voice."

"That's so sweet," she replied as she turned to look into his eyes. He leaned in and kissed her.

"What do you say to our child?" he inquired. He knew that she talked to their child throughout the day when nobody was around to hear her.

"Most recently, I told her to stop kicking me in the ribs or bladder," she chuckled, "But really I tell them the same thing you do."

"You keep referring to our child as a her," he pointed out, "You know something."

"I know nothing other than the feeling that I have," she assured him, "I just feel that this is going to be a girl. I think that you'll be getting your wish."

"Another little Blair running around with perfect ringlet pigtails and a perfectly pressed designer outfit," he smiled broadly. The picture of her in his head from the childhood was flawless. It was as if it happened only yesterday.

"But you can forget about our little girl wear the white gloves," she insisted as she cringed at the memory, "My mother made me wear them, and I hated them."

"I know," he chuckled as a memory that he somehow had forgotten came flooding back, "You always peeled them off as soon as you knew your mother wasn't looking."

"You really were paying attention," she stated.

"To every moment," he replied as he nodded his head against her shoulder, "I don't know that I have a memory from our childhood that doesn't involve you in some way. Even the memories that I have of just me and Nathaniel has some mention of you. I distinctly remember one conversation in which I tried unsuccessfully to convince him that you had cooties."

"Why would you do that?" she gasped in horror.

"Because he kept saying that he wanted to kiss you, and I couldn't let that happen," he defended himself.

"How old were you when this conversation took place?" she inquired as her anger subsided as quickly as it formed.

"No older than ten," he recalled, "And it was obvious that our conversation didn't have its intended affect because he told me that at Chrissy Jenkins's birthday party that he kissed you and got to second base during your turn in the closet."

"That was when we were eleven," she remembered, "And he was **so** lying. He didn't lay one finger or lip on me. He started hyperventilating as soon as the door closed. Did you know that he used to be claustrophobic?"

"Seriously?" he responded in surprise, "He didn't touch you?"

"I'm going to kill him," Blair hissed, "I felt sorry for him so I told him that he could tell everyone that we kissed, but that was it. Plus I didn't want everyone thinking that I was being my usual prissy Blair Waldorf. Had I known that he was telling everyone that he felt me up, I would have ratted him out."

"He only told me," Chuck assured her as his hand circled her stomach rhythmically, "That was when I first gave up the notion of one day becoming your boyfriend. I knew you would only do something like that with someone that you truly cared about. I think that might have been around the time I smoked pot for the first time to take the edge off of what I was feeling."

"Do you think that if I assaulted Nate in my current condition that I could get off by pleading temporary insanity?" she mused as her cheeks flushed with anger.

Chuck laughed out loud at her question.

"I'm serious," she snapped, "I really want to do him bodily harm right now. How dare he A) sully my reputation by telling you he got to second base on me, and B) hurt you like that."

"It all worked out in the end, Love," he stated smoothly as he kissed her temple as he reached out for her wedding ring around her neck as he held it out for her to view, "You are my wife and the mother of my unborn child. I wouldn't trade what we currently have for redoing the past."

"Neither would I," she sighed as she relaxed against him finally.

**TBC . . . .**

Please don't forget the reviews. They let me know if you are enjoying this or not and keep my thoughts churning.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Serena and I are meeting for lunch after my doctor's appointment this morning," Blair replied when Chuck asked her what she was doing with her day while he was away at the office. She was due any day, so he was a little more than hesitant to leave her. Her doctor had been telling her that she could go into labor at any time. She was already dilated four centimeters when she went to see the doctor two days earlier.

"Keep your cell phone close," he cautioned her as he walked with her to the elevator as he prepared to leave for the day.

"Don't I always," she responded with a roll of her eyes as she pushed the elevator call button. Their cell phones had been such an extension of themselves for so long, how could he possibly conceive that she would go anywhere without it.

"I love you," he proclaimed as the elevator doors opened. He kissed her quickly while rubbing her stomach affectionately.

"I'll see you soon," Blair replied as she shoved him gently into the elevator, "I love you too, Bass."

His smile was the last thing she saw as the door closed.

She quickly waddled towards her phone, scanning through her contacts to find Serena's house telephone number. Her best friend's cell phone number was one of her speed dial keys, but she knew her best friend well enough to know that she wouldn't answer the cell that early in the morning.

"Blair, it's early," Serena yawned as she looked at the clock as she answered the house phone at the tail end of the fourth ring. Blair could feel that it was a heartbeat away from going to voicemail before the bubbly blonde managed to answer it.

"I'm sorry," Blair responded, her speech accelerating as she spoke, "But can you come over as soon as possible."

"What's wrong?" Serena asked as she sat up quickly while scanning her room for suitable clothes to pull on.

"I think I might be in labor," Blair spoke hesitantly as she gripped the table near where she was standing as the pain began to build.

"How long has this been going on?" Serena gasped as she leapt out of bed and sorted through the clothes at her feet to find something suitable to wear.

"A few hours, I think," Blair groaned as she gripped the table more firmly as the contraction took a firm hold.

"Breath, Blair," Serena encouraged her through the phone as she took several deep breaths with Blair as she slipped in a suitable pair of pants and threw on a tank top and fall sweater, "Remember our Lamaze classes."

"Serena," Blair pleaded as she panted for breath. Her voice sounded panicked and desperate. She needed her best friend more in that moment than she ever did.

"I'm on my way," Serena assured her as she grabbed her purse and apartment keys as she left her penthouse. "Stay on the phone with me. I'll coach you long distance until I get there. Has Chuck left for work already?"

"He just left," Blair responded as she took another deep breath as the pain began to lessen. "I haven't told him that I think I'm in labor."

"BLAIR!" Serena exclaimed as she dashed down the five flights of stairs of her building and had the doorman hail her a taxi. She couldn't wait for the impossibly slow elevator that morning.

"I know I'm being a coward, but we both know how he flipped out a month ago when I thought I was in labor. He passed out and ended up on bed rest for two days, and that was just gas. I'm fairly certain this is much more than that," Blair stated with certainty.

"I'm getting into the cab right now. I'll be there in five minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone until I get there?" she inquired as she slid into the back seat and gave the driver the directions while offering a hundred dollar tip if he could get there in under five minutes. Her stepbrother was rubbing off on her.

"I think I'm okay for right now," Blair replied with only a slight hesitation in her voice, "If I need you, I know you're only a phone call away."

"Is your bag packed?" Serena asked one final question.

"It's sitting in the front hall closet," Blair nodded. It hadn't moved in since two months earlier when she first packed it after their first few Lamaze classes.

"Stay calm," Serena encouraged her. "I'll be there in a few minutes. You should call Chuck and have him meet us at the hospital."

Blair hung up the phone so she wouldn't have to give her best friend an answer. She couldn't call Chuck just yet. She couldn't put him through this if it was another false alarm. The actual event was going to be hard enough for him to get through.

* * *

"Now will you call Chuck?" Serena insisted as Blair's doctor left the exam room after confirming that she was indeed in labor. Serena and Blair had been bickering since the blonde arrived at the penthouse an hour earlier about Blair's need to call Chuck.

"Let's wait until I'm dilated a few more centimeters," Blair offered up a compromise.

"Blair, you're at seven centimeters," Serena squealed, "If we wait any longer your child will be finished with kindergarten by the time Chuck gets here. You know how traffic can be."

"Fine, I'll call him," Blair sighed, "But can you please go get me some ice chips while I do this. This is a really personal call."

"I'll go get you the ice chips, but don't think for a minute that I don't already know that you're calling Chuck's assistant and not Chuck's cell," Serena stated as she left the room after placing Blair's phone in her hand. She heard Blair's huffs of displeasure as the door closed.

* * *

"Mister Bass," Eugenia called out as she popped her head into the board meeting that Chuck was running. After her brief conversation with Blair she made a mad dash to the board room.

Chuck looked at his assistant in surprise. She never interrupted his meetings. He quickly excused himself and stepped out into the hall to where his assistant was eagerly awaiting him.

"You know not to interrupt board meetings," he scolded her in jest.

"Blair called," Eugenia responded quickly, "She and Serena are at the hospital. She's in labor."

Chuck quickly retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and looked for the call he must have missed. There wasn't one. "She chickened out and called you instead of me," he concluded. Eugenia nodded her response.

His face was the picture of calm at the moment. She was surprised by his reaction. From how Blair had described his reaction last time, she had expected him to hyperventilate or pass out once more. "Let me dismiss the board and then I'll meet the limo downstairs."

"Are you okay, Chuck?" Eugenia inquired as she looked at her boss with a curious expression.

"I'm going to be a father today," Chuck smiled as he turned towards the door, "I'm more than okay."

Eugenia chuckled as she waited for Chuck to reappear. She already had the limo waiting out front, and her purse was at her side after she had hastily closed their office. She had every intention of being at his side as he made his way to the hospital. Blair had made her promise to do so weeks earlier.

"I apologize for the interruption, ladies and gentleman, but we have to cut this meeting short," Chuck announced as he returned to his usual post at the head of the table, "My wife has gone into labor."

After several congratulations and well wishes, Chuck made his escape with Eugenia at his side. In the limo, he tried every minute to get a hold of Blair, but it always went to voicemail. A call to Serena offered up a suitable explanation. Blair had been on the phone with first her mother and then her father.

Finally just as they pulled up to the hospital Blair called him.

"How are you doing?" Chuck gushed into the phone.

"Okay," she stated automatically.

"You can tell me if it hurts," he responded. He knew she was going to shield him as much as possible on this day, but he didn't want that. He didn't want to be kept in the dark. He had concluded it would be harder if he didn't know that everything was going well or, god forbid, not.

"It's not as bad as I expected," Blair sighed, " . . . yet."

"We just pulled up to the hospital. What floor are you on?" he inquired as he leapt out of the car without waiting for Arthur to open it for him as he normally did. He remembered that Eugenia was with him, and turned to help her out before they both made a mad dash for the hospital entrance. She was on her cell phone calling Nate as she knew that Chuck hadn't even thought of calling his best friend yet.

"Eight," she replied after verifying with Serena.

"I'll be right there," he assured her, "I love you."

"I love you," Blair smiled before she turned off her phone completely. Everyone that she wanted to be there that day was on their way.

"Hey," Serena stated as she met Chuck at the elevator as he stepped off. Her arms were wrapped around his neck instantly.

"How is she?" Chuck inquired as he returned her hug with only a slight hesitation. While he couldn't keep his hands off his wife, affection towards other people was something that he still wasn't comfortable with.

"She's doing great," Serena assured him, "Everything has been smooth sailing so fair. She's at seven and a half centimeters already. The doctor says that she was probably in labor while she slept. You know Blair, she can sleep through a tornado, so why not contractions."

Chuck smirked in amusement as he followed Serena to his wife's room.

"Chuck," Eugenia called out to him. Chuck and Serena paused to turn towards his assistant. "I'm going to get everyone some coffee. I'll be in the waiting room if you need anything."

Chuck reached out and hugged his assistant. Eugenia froze in his arms. She didn't know how to react. There had been very few times in which they had that type of close interaction. "Thank you for being here," he stated as he released her. Eugenia nodded as she watched Chuck and Serena disappear into one of the private hospital rooms.

"There you are," Blair smiled brightly as she reached out for his hand as he entered her room. He quickly grasped her hand as he closed the distance between them and leaned in to kiss her passionately as he slid himself onto the vacant spot on her bed to sit next to her.

A clearing of a throat behind them reminded them that they were not alone.

"Isn't that what got the two of you here in the first place," Serena mused. She had a teasing glimmer in her eyes.

"Every now and then you show a hint of the intelligence we all know you have," Chuck quipped as he looked at Serena in amusement. Blair quickly turned his head so his focus was back on her.

"I'm going to go get some coffee," Serena stated as she quickly disappeared.

"I'm glad you're here," Blair stated as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"There isn't anywhere else I want to be," he sighed happily as he pressed his forehead to hers.

She closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation.

"When did you realize you were in labor?" Chuck whispered softly against her skin. He hadn't been at the office for more than a few hours, so he knew it couldn't have been too long.

"When I woke up this morning, I knew something was different," she replied quietly, "The first contraction that I felt hit me while you were in the shower. The second happened just after you left for work."

"Why didn't you tell me when the first contraction hit?" he inquired as his lips dusted her cheek as he spoke.

"You know why," she replied as she pulled away to look in his eyes. He nodded. He did know. She was telling him exactly what he already knew. She was shielding him.

"Don't protect me from this," he requested as he looked at her with pleading eyes, "We both know this is going to be hard for me, but I don't want to be kept in the dark. I need to know what is going on."

"Chuck," she began to discourage his request.

"Listen to me," he pleaded with her, "For my own sanity, I need to know what is happening. If something bad happens, I need to know to prepare myself."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to me or this child," she assured him, "We are both doing great so far."

"So far," he repeated as his eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"We're going to be okay," she stated slowly as she over-enunciated each syllable, "Chuck, I promise you, we will be fine."

"You can't promise something like that," he hissed. His voice began to break as he continued. "You don't know what is going to happen. You cannot predict the future."

"Please have faith in me," she requested as she began wiping the tears that spilled from his eyes, "Have faith in us."

"We are the one thing I have always had faith in, but . . ." he trailed off.

"No buts, Chuck," she scolded him quickly as she cut off his thoughts, "I need you to have faith in us. I'm going to be okay. This child is going to be okay. In a few hours, we are going to hold him or her in our arms, and you'll realize that all this fear and anxiety that you have built up inside of you was completely unnecessary."

"Your mother is turning into Doctor Freud again," he bent over and whispered to her stomach.

"Chuck," she scolded him. She needed him to be serious at that moment.

"I want you to be right," he stated after a few moments of silent reflection, "With everything in me, I do want that."

"Put aside all of that old self doubt and misplaced blame, and focus on what is important at this moment," she requested as she threaded her fingers into his hair.

"Focus on you," he nodded.

"No," she shook her head, "Focus on us . . . all of us. Focus on the fact that in just a short amount of time we are going to be more than just husband and wife . . . we're going to be a true family."

"I don't know if I've ever truly been a part of a family before," he contemplated as his ringed hand entwined in the chain around her neck that held her wedding ring. "My father and I were mostly strangers to each other for my entire life. The van der Woodsen's tried to bring me into their family, but it always felt a little forced. Today I'll finally have the one thing that I've wanted most all my life . . . a family of my own."

Tears seeped out of Blair's eyes as she put her arms around his neck and held him close.

"I love you, Blair," he sighed as he held her close.

"I love you," she agreed.

"Are you up for some company?" Nate inquired as he stuck his head into Blair's room. She could see that he was holding a small teddy bear in his hand.

She nodded as she dried Chuck's eyes before wiping hers.

"How are you feeling?" Nate asked as he handed her the stuff animal he had purchased weeks ago for this very event.

"Anxious," Blair replied with a smile after thanking him for the bear, "I'm so ready for this pregnancy to end."

Nate looked at Chuck to see the apprehension in his eyes. "How are you holding up?" he inquired as he slapped his friends shoulder. Chuck simply glared at him in response. "That well, huh," Nate concluded with an amused chuckle.

"Take care of him for me," Blair requested as she caressed her husband's hand gently.

"Of course, whatever you need, man, I'm here for you," Nate nodded. He could sense that Chuck and Blair needed a few more minutes alone, so he quickly excused himself claiming that there was a hot nurse at the nursing station he wanted to hit on. Chuck and Blair both smirked as he left. He hadn't changed since high school ended. He was always looking for a pretty woman to chat with.

"You okay?" Blair inquired as she studied Chuck's eyes once they were alone.

"You just focus on yourself and this child," he told her, "Nate will take care of me."

She nodded in agreement as she sat forward and kissed him. A contraction kicked in just as their lips made contact. She pulled away quickly as she grasped his hand tightly. He looked at her with frantic eyes as she began inhaling and exhaling. She had to look away from him to concentrate on her breathing. Her instincts were screaming at her to take care of him and ignore the contraction, but she knew that wasn't going to work.

Several moments later the pain began to subside.

"Contraction," she offered up an explanation as she took one more cleansing breath as she looked at the clock to calculate how far apart the contraction was from the last one. "Six minutes apart . . . they're coming quicker and quicker. They were twenty minutes apart when I first got here. The doctor was going to send me home and have me return when they contractions got closer, but as he examined me the contractions skipped several minutes. Then my water broke after he finished his exam. He thinks this is going to be quick."

"Is this normal?" Chuck inquired. His eyes grew frantic once more as his voice began to quiver.

"It's not abnormal," she assured him as she caressed his chin gently, "Each woman's labor is different. Some are quicker than others."

Just then Blair's doctor entered her room to do another exam.

"You must be Mister Bass," Doctor Finch stated as he extended his hand to Chuck who nodded in confirmation. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"All good things," Blair chimed in.

"How are my wife and child?" Chuck inquired as he shook the doctor's hand.

"Both are doing excellent," Doctor Finch assured the nervous looking man. "Blair's labor is progressing very rapidly, but it is nothing to be alarmed about."

Chuck nodded as he took a deep breath as the doctor's words seemed to have a calming effect on him.

"Chuck, why don't you go get some coffee," Blair encouraged him. She didn't think it was wise for him to be in the room when the doctor examined her. "I'll have a nurse come find you when Doctor Finch is finished."

He shook his head. "I want to be here with you for as long as I can," he replied as he kissed her forehead. Relenting to his earlier request to not shield him from her labor, she extended her hand towards him and pulled him towards the chair near her bed for him to sit next to her. Once Chuck was settled she let Doctor Finch exam her.

"Eight centimeters and a half centimeters," Doctor Finch announced, "I don't think we have more than a few hours left. How far apart were the last two contractions?"

"Six minutes," Blair and Chuck spoke in unison. Chuck's voice was more panicked than Blair's.

"I'll be back to check on you soon," Doctor Finch replied while trying to hide the smirk that was trying to form upon seeing the panic in Chuck's eyes. After fifteen years of practice, he was used to the expectant father's panicked look, but this one was different. There was more fear in his eyes than he had ever seen. "Mister Bass, she's doing great," Doctor Finch assured him as he placed a hand on Chuck's shoulder to offer his encouragement. "I'm very good at what I do. I will not let anything happen to your wife or this child."

Chuck nodded as Doctor Finch left the room.

"Feel better?" Blair inquired as she studied Chuck's posture when they were left alone. He was slumped over slightly and his shoulder were sagged.

"I'd feel better if the doctor would stay with you until our child is born," he responded as he shook his head, "I should have insisted on hiring you a private doctor and nurse for today."

"Doctor Finch is one of the best obstetricians in the country. He knows what he's doing," she assured him.

"Then why has he left you alone?" he growled, "What if something happens when he's gone? What if the baby wants to come, and he's not here?"

"Take a deep breath," she encouraged him, "He's not too far away."

"I know I'm being ridiculous," he sighed as he took a deep breath.

"You're being you," she assured him, "I don't expect you to be anything more than you are."

"This is really happening," he announced as the situation was starting to feel more and more real. "Together we really did create this life growing inside you, and we get to meet him or her today."

She smiled in response.

"I want to be here for as long as I can," he stated as he rose up from his chair and took his place on her hospital bed in the spot he had vacated when Doctor Finch walked in.

"Then I want you here for as long as you can," she grinned happily. She knew when the actual birth happened that he wouldn't be able to be there, but he was making the effort to be there for her through the contractions. It was more than she had hoped for. She had figured that he would pop into the room to assure her that he was there and then he would disappear into the waiting room until their child was born.

**TBC. . .**

**We're getting close to the end. Stay tuned.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Happy Holidays to everyone!**

**If you've read my story "Happiness in Unexpected Places" you'll notice a lot of similarities between that posting and this chapter. I could have directed you my other story, but I wanted to rework the story to match what I have recently written. I hope you all enjoy.**

"Here is some coffee, Mister Bass," Eugenia stated as she handed him a cup of gourmet coffee that she had procured after she and others had suffered through numerous cups of the hospital variety as he took a seat in the nearly empty waiting area on the other side of the maternity floor. She had been waiting patiently. She knew he would disappear from public view when he could no longer stay with Blair. Nate was working with the hospital staff to get a private room set aside. He had a feeling that Chuck would be needing it later.

"Cedric's here," Chuck concluded as he took a sip from the cup, "And damn it, Eugenia, when we're not in the office, call me Chuck."

"I'm sorry," Eugenia apologized quickly, "You're right. Now is not the time."

"And I'm sorry," Chuck responded as he touched her hand gently as he looked at her with a sincerity she had never seen from him, "I shouldn't have snapped at you. You have no idea how much I appreciate you being here for me and Blair. You are our rock in so many ways."

"How is Blair?" Eugenia inquired as she reached out and rubbed his back gently.

"So far so good," Chuck responded as he inhaled and then exhaled slowly as he leaned in as her arm came around his shoulder. His head rested against her for a few moments. "How do people do this . . . how do they put their faith in people they barely know to take care of the people they care for most?"

"She's going to be okay, Chuck," Eugenia tried to assure him.

He merely nodded as he pulled away. They sat together in silence until Blair's father found them and coerced him into joining the rest of the family in the main waiting room. He reluctantly followed along.

* * *

Chuck's eyes became fixated on his wedding band as he plopped down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. His foot was tapping nervously. Familiar faces gathered around to offer their heartfelt congratulations and well wishes. He tried to accept them with the eagerness in which they were given, but his brain wouldn't allow any emotion other than the fear he felt.

"You okay, Buddy?" Nate asked as he sunk down next to his best friend. He hadn't missed the terror in his friend's eyes earlier, and it was becoming more and more evident the closer Blair got to delivering their child.

"Yeah," Chuck responded promptly. It was the same response he had been giving to anyone who asked the question. It was becoming his automatic reply to most questions.

"Thinking about your mom?" he concluded as he watched Chuck twist his ring around his finger. Nate couldn't believe the transformation that had occurred in Chuck over the years. He was once the most irresponsible ladies' man, and now he was the most committed husband that anyone could ever meet.

He hardly even looked at another woman, at least for too long. He was still Chuck Bass after all. He still appreciated the beauty of the female form, but he found that none could live up to the perfection that was Blair Waldorf-Bass.

Chuck nodded as he ran his hands through his hair as he let out a shaky breath. He had been thinking a lot about her in the last three months. He tried to image what she would be like had she lived. Would the smile in the photographs change any in real life? Would the twinkle he saw in her eyes appear less special?

He also thought about how his life would have been so much happier and fuller. The only thing that saddened him was the idea that he probably wouldn't know Blair, Nate or any of the Manhattan elite that he had come to call his family. Evelyn Bass would have insisted that he have a normal childhood . . . public school, summer camps in the wilderness, homework at night, and chores on the weekend. He would have learned responsibility at an early age instead of it be thrust upon him before his eighteenth birthday when his father unexpectedly died.

"How's Blair?" Nate inquired.

"Cursing up a storm, last I checked," Chuck sighed as he rubbed his tired neck, "She kicked me out about ten minutes ago. Eleanor and Serena are with her."

"Are you sure leaving her with Eleanor is such a good idea?" Nate inquired. Everyone knew how delicate of a relationship the mother-daughter duo had.

"Eleanor wouldn't dream of pissing her off today," Chuck responded meekly as he shrugged his shoulders, "She's got a grandchild coming. She wouldn't risk Blair cutting her out of our child's life.

Chuck's eyes filled with tears that he had been fighting to hold in. His thoughts kept drifting to the worst possible scenarios.

"She'll be okay," Nate tried to assure his best friend as if he could read Chuck's mind.

Chuck nodded as he had every time someone tried to assure him of that fact. He wanted to believe the words, but he was a pessimist at heart. Blame it on his upbringing, but he always anticipated the worst happened. Perhaps that is why he was such a successful businessman. His life had mostly taught him about heartache, it had only been in the last eight years that he had truly known happiness. Eight years may seem like a lot of time to most, but to Chuck the years flew by in a blink of an eye. He lived in fear that any moment it would come crashing down. There was a monster in his stomach that told him that today was that day.

"Chuck," Serena's voice called out to him. The effect was the same as dousing him in ice-cold water. His heart froze. His eyes were full of pure terror. Serena smiled at him warmly in reassurance. "She wants to see you."

"I don't know if I can do that," Chuck responded as he looked at his two closest friends. Together they all made up three fourth of the nonjudgmental breakfast club. On most days, Chuck would have smirked at the brief memory of the first time those words had graced Blair's lips. Today wasn't one of those days.

"We'll be right there with you," Nate offered as Serena rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. Chuck agreed with a nod as Nate slung his arm around his shoulder and urged him forward. Serena followed close behind. All eyes in the room were on Chuck as the trio disappeared.

"Take a deep breath," Serena urged him as his pace slowed when they approached Blair's room. Eleanor saw them through the window and came out to hug Chuck. Eleanor's heart went out for her son-in-law. Although she had never really approved of the relationship, she could not deny how much he loved her daughter and provided her with the life that she deserved.

"She's doing great, Charles," Eleanor whispered into his ear as her arms came around his shoulders in the briefest of hugs, "It won't be much longer."

"Come on," Nate urged his best friend forward as Serena pushed the door open.

"Hey," Blair reached out for him as her eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Hey," he mumbled in response as he covered the distance between them, taking her hand into his as he kissed it lightly. Her hair was piled high on top of her head, she had no makeup on, and she was sweating from exertion, but to Chuck she still looked breathtaking "You look beautiful."

"You are lying," Blair laughed, "But it's sweet of you to say so."

"How are you feeling?" he inquired as he rubbed her hand with his thumb gently.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Everything that has happened up to this point is completely normal."

Chuck looked around the room hoping to see either a nurse or a doctor that could confirm her story, but they had both stepped out for another few minutes.

"Chuck, look at me," Blair demanded as his eyes began to glaze over in panic. He made himself focus on her.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," she tried her best to reassure him.

"I'm sure that is what my mom said too," Chuck replied as tears filled his eyes.

"We've talked about this, Chuck," Blair reminded him. "Your mother's pregnancy was more complicated right from the start."

"Have you decided what type of ring you'd like?" Chuck inquired as he kissed her hand again as he attempted to focus on something other than his current panic. He had been reading up on pregnancy from the expectant father's perspective. Upon reading of 'push' presents for the mother, Chuck insisted on doing that for Blair. She was decidedly against it, but she finally relented when he mentioned the idea of jewelry. He knew that she was a sucker for anything sparkly.

"Does it have to be a ring?" she groaned as a contraction suddenly kicked in. She reflexively gripped his hand tighter as the pain overtook her. The panic returned to his eyes as Serena went to the other side of Blair's bed to coax her through the pain. Chuck stood up suddenly and was about to make his escape from the room. Blair kept her tight grip on his hand as she continued to breathe through the pain, shaking her head to tell him that she didn't want him to go just yet.

Nate was at Chuck's side trying to get his friend to calm down by practicing the same type of breathing that Blair was currently using. As her breathing became easier, so did his.

"You okay?" Chuck asked as he sat back down once the contraction had subsided. Serena and Nate stepped away from the pair and into a corner of the room where neither Blair nor Chuck could see them, but they instinctively knew that they had to be nearby for the next contraction. Serena held up two fingers to Nate to indicate the contractions were coming two minutes apart.

"Better now," Blair responded as she reached out to touch his face softly, "Thank you for staying with me through it."

Chuck nodded as he leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he reveled in the overwhelming sensations.

"I wish I could be there to help you through this," Chuck stated as he kissed the inside of her palm, "I just don't have the strength for it. I'll be more of a distraction."

"It's okay," she assures him as she reached for the necklace she had around her neck. On the chain is her wedding ring. "You'll be with me the entire time."

Another contraction overtook her suddenly. Blair wasn't ready. It wasn't time yet. She should have had at least another minute. Serena was by her side as a string of curse words escaped Blair's lips that would cause even the most seasoned sailor to blush.

Nate left to get the doctor. They were getting close, he could tell.

"Chuck, you have to leave now," Blair told him once the contraction had subsided. She knew this was happening as soon as the doctor came back. He wanted to refuse, to shake his head and tell her he would be brave enough to stay, but he couldn't. Instead he kissed her forehead, professed his undying love for her before he allowed Nate to pull him from the room. He blew her one last kiss as the door closed.

* * *

"What the hell is taking so long?" Chuck asked as he paced the room. Nate had taken him away from the standard waiting room so that Chuck could be away from the prying eyes. After a bad experience with allowing Eric to see him, Nate cut off all visitors to Chuck until they would receive the news that Blair and the baby were okay.

"Chuck, it's been an hour," Nate stated as he looked at his watch, the same watch Chuck had given him as a gift for being his best man just a few short years ago, "These things take time."

"Go ask for another update?" Chuck demanded as he motioned towards the nurse's stated that was on the other side of the wall from where they were.

"They updated us three minutes ago," Nate insisted, "Calm down."

"Calm down! The love of my life is in there having my child and perhaps dying, and you want me to calm down!" Chuck yelled out. He had finally said it out loud, what he had been dreading hearing since he was a small boy and was told by one of the many nannies he had throughout his childhood how his mother had really died.

"You have to believe that Blair is going to be okay," Nate insisted as he got into Chuck's space pushing a finger roughly into Chuck's chest to make his point. "She's a Waldorf for crying out loud."

"She's not a Waldorf, Nathaniel. She's a Bass," Chuck stated as he finally broke down into tears, "She's my Bass. She's my entire world. I won't be able to live without her."

"You won't have to try," Nate stated as he embraced him, allowing him to completely fall apart in his arms. Chuck sobbed into his best friend's shoulder as he let out all of the fear he had bottled up

"Chuck, there's someone that is eager to meet you," Serena stated as she entered the room with a small child in her arms. Chuck wiped the tears that clouded his vision. Serena came in closer and put the child in his arms after she encouraged him to have a seat. He held it awkwardly at first, afraid that he would break the little thing. Serena smiled as she helped him adjust to the warm presence in his arms, "It's a girl."

"She's beautiful," Nate responded as he took in the little child. She was the perfect mixture of Blair and Chuck. His dark penetrating eyes, her sweet nose and lips. Even less than an hour old, she seemed to have Chuck's intense stare down, the one that seemed to be able to see right into a person's soul as she locked eyes with her father.

The little girl cooed in his arms and fell asleep instantly as if she knew how safe she would always be with him.

"Blair," Chuck asked as he looked up at Serena suddenly. Tears still filled his eyes, but they were happier tears than they had been with Nate moments earlier.

"She's fine," Serena assured him as she gently rubbed his back, "We waited until the doctors were able to perform a thorough exam and were sure before we told you."

"Can I see her?" Chuck asked as the little child wiggled a little in his arms. He held on a little tighter for fear that she would wiggle right out and onto the hard floor.

"Of course," Serena responded with a bright smile as she helped him stand with the child still securely tucked into in his arms. He walked awkwardly afraid that if he moved the slightest bit in the wrong direction, he would crush the delicate angel in his arms.

Blair was asleep when Serena held the door open for Chuck. The sound of the heart monitor beeping rhythmically killed the monsters that had taken up residence in his stomach. Once he was safely seated, Serena pulled Nate out with her so that the new family could have time to themselves before their friends and family ascended upon them.

"Hello, there," Chuck whispered softly as his daughter's eyes opened unexpectedly, "I'm Chuck Bass. That will mean something completely different to you than it does to the rest of the world. To you it will mean, I'm your daddy . . . Your mother and I have been so anxious to meet you . . . we love you so much . . . and you will be the luckiest and most spoiled little princess in all of New York City."

The little girl made a cute little sound as she squirmed in his arms as if she was trying to settle in further to his embrace.

"Being a Bass is a large responsibility, but I promise you that I'll make it as easy as I can on you," he continued, "No ridiculous expectations . . . no impossible standards to live up to. You, my beautiful daughter, will be able to choose whichever path in life that you'd like to follow . . . but their will be a few rules that you'll need to live by."

"If it isn't daddy and his little angel," Blair smiled as she opened her eyes to see Chuck sitting in the chair next to her bed, whispering something that she couldn't make out to their little girl that was looking into her father's eyes captivated by his smooth voice.

"She's so little," Chuck marveled as he reached for her little hand. The awkwardness he originally felt was slowly subsiding with each passing moment he spent with her.

"She didn't feel so little thirty minutes ago," Blair responded sarcastically, smiling at the adorable picture the pair made. She quickly reached out for the camera that Serena had thoughtfully left near her bed and took the picture before Chuck could spot the lense.

"Are you okay?" Chuck asked as he eyes locked with Blair's.

"Completely healthy," Blair responded as she reached gingerly for a piece of paper, "I have a note from the doctor."

He laughed as he recognized the scribbled handwriting of her obstetrician.

"Are you okay?" Blair asked as she saw the bloodshot eyes and bruised knuckles on his hand.

"I am now," Chuck nodded as he continued to play with the tiny hand that was trying to grip his finger.

Blair looked at him, waiting patiently to explain the hand. She could figure out the bloodshot eyes.

"Eric," he responded regretfully as he nodded towards his hand, "He came in to see how I was doing. I think he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. I'm not sure what he said, but it was the wrong thing at the wrong moment. Before I knew it my fist connected with his jaw."

"Is he okay?" Blair asked.

"I think so," Chuck nodded with a slightly devilish grin, "A male nurse came to his rescue. They're downstairs in the cafeteria getting coffee. I think he's going to be thanking me for the bruise in a few days."

Blair let out a breezy laugh.

"She needs a name," Blair stated softly as the little girl opened her eyes to look into his. Blair smiled at the connection they had already begun to form. Chuck stood up slowly and took up a seat next to Blair on her bed, shifting their daughter into Blair's arms.

"Which one will it be?" Chuck asked as he looked at her expectantly as he took a hold of their daughter's hand and kissed it gently before he leaned up and kissed Blair's forehead.

Blair studied their daughter for a few moments as she tried to make up her mind.

"Charlotte Evelyn Bass," Blair pronounced, "Charlee for short."

"Bass-Waldorf?" Chuck countered as he kissed her lips softly, "We can't have her forgetting her feisty mother."

"Waldorf-Bass," she sighed as she yawned.

"Thank you for naming her after my mother," Chuck responded as his lip quivered slightly as he tried to smile as Blair handed Charlotte back to her daddy. She was exhausted. She felt as if she could sleep for a week. Blair nodded as she put her head back and closed her eyes as Chuck slid off the bed and cuddled back in the chair with Charlotte in his arms. Blair fell asleep while listening to Chuck laying out the rules of being a Bass to their hour old daughter. The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was, "And you won't be dating anyone who wears a silk scarf. Ask you're mother, they are nothing but trouble."

Chuck looked at the two women who had taken over his life. How could he have ever let himself believe something this perfect could be terrifying?

After yearning for most of his life, he was finally part of a family . . . his family. Life was perfect.

The End.


End file.
